Best Served Cold
by MoaningMyrtle123
Summary: AU Naomi is confident and self assured. When she joins a gym, she meets Emily and immediately starts to persue her. But what is her real motivation?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I haven't written any fiction in quite a few years, but after being inspired by some of the stories on here, I thought I would give it a go.**

**I have recently been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder, which means that at any time I might just...SQUIRREL!**

**Okay, sorry about that. I'm not joking about the ADD though, so I am making no promises about how often I will be updating. Hope you enjoy.**

Chapter One

Naomi

I leaned back against the door of my car and took in the large building in front of me. 'Fitch Fitness Centre' was emblazoned in red, foot high letters. Underneath was the tagline: 'don't get fit, get Fitch'. Christ, was that supposed to be funny? I chuckled to myself as an image of Rob and Jenna Fitch swam up before me - the two of them with eyes alight at their own cleverness at coming up with the line.

It had been nearly a year since I was last here. I span around to check my reflection in the driver's side window. I've let my hair grow since then - it now reaches to my shoulders in soft waves. The colour has changed too. It's now a very pale blonde, since yesterday's trip to the hairdresser. Quite a difference. I'm not saying that my own mother wouldn't recognise me, but it would suffice as a disguise for anyone giving me only a cursory glance. I had dressed carefully too. It was important to look good, but without seeming like I made too much effort. I had opted for skinny black jeans - that emphasise my long, slender legs - and a close fitting 'Rolling Stones' tee shirt with just enough 'hug' to show off my curves. Hey, there's no harm in knowing that you have a good figure, right? I flicked my cigarette butt away, and strolled towards the building.

As the sliding doors swept closed behind me, I walked over to the familiar figure hunched behind the reception desk. As soon as he saw me, he looked up with his trademark cheeky grin.

"Naomikins!" The booming voice of one James Cook - loud, obnoxious, and probably the closest thing I have to a best friend. He was dressed in a black polo shirt with 'Fitch Fitness' stitched on in red. For some reason, he had all three buttons of the collar fastened, which just made him look uncomfortable. He stood up from his chair, and looked appraisingly at me, swinging the top half of his body first to the right, and then to the left.

"Blondie, eh? I like it!" He waggled his eyebrows in what I'm sure he thought was a seductive way, but only served to make him look comical. I scowled at him, and glanced around to see if anyone else was in the reception.

"Chillax, babe! There's no-one here but the Cookie Monster!" he said, spreading his arms out as if to demonstrate. "So that's your disguise then, is it? I recognised you straight away." Christ sake! How many times did I have to go over this with him?

"I considered a fake moustache" I deadpanned. "But I couldn't get one to match my hair colour." I rolled my eyes at him. "James," I knew the use of his first name would ensure his full attention. "I only need to look different enough to survive a passing glance from either Jenna or Rob. _They_ hardly know me, and probably won't even remember me. Besides, if we work this out right, I shouldn't even see them... Not until later, anyway." He nodded, and I started to think that he might have got it. "Shall we get this show on the road, then?"

He winked at me and lifted the receiver on the desktop telephone. He punched in a couple of digits and waited for the connection. Then, in his best 'faux posh' voice, and with a wide grin plastered to his face: "Miss Fitch? Hello, James at reception here. I have a delightful young lady with me, enquiring about joining Fitch Fitness Centre." I could hear a giggle on the other end of the line. When he spoke next, the false voice was dropped. "so get that fit arse of yours down here then, girl!" With that, he replaced the receiver, and I slumped into a seat.

* * *

"Hi, welcome to Fitch Fitness Centre"

I glanced up, and was left momentarily speechless by not one, but two sets of deep brown eyes looking at me. Two identical beauties had joined Cook and I in the reception. They weren't very tall, but their figures were fantastic - with curves in all the right places. They each had a slightly rounded face, a small button nose, and rather pouty lips. They were wearing black skirts and black blouses with the logo stitched onto it. One of them had one less button fastened at the top of her blouse, and a considerably shorter skirt. I glanced between the two of them and noticed they were not as identical as I first thought. The one who had spoken (and had the shorter skirt) had darker hair. It was a rich brown colour with a hint of purple to it, whilst the other twin had bright, vibrant red hair. I found myself lost in a moment of wondering what other differences I might find between these two girls...

The same twin who had addressed me first, now spoke again. I'm Katie, and this is Emily. We're here to show you around the gym." As she gestured towards Emily, I found my gaze following to her. For a moment, our eyes locked, and she gave me a small but friendly smile. I couldn't stop a huge grin spreading across my face.

Suddenly, I realised they were both staring at me expectantly. Right, it's a little English custom we have of giving your name, when someone introduces them self. "Naomi" I mutter, without even thinking. I realised my mistake as soon as I saw Cook frowning at me. Fucksake! Why did I just do that? I'm supposed to be using a fake name! Still, no harm done. It's not the most common name, but it's not too rare. As long as I give them a false surname. I plunged about in the recesses of my brain for a suitable last name. With a burst of relief, I remembered my mother's maiden name. "Campbell" I blurted out without any more thought. "Naomi Campbell" Oh shit. I may as well have said hi, I'm Naomi fake-name, pleased to meet you!

Cook guffawed with laughter. Katie giggled shamelessly. Emily just rolled her eyes at her sister and gave me another small smile.

"I bet you got teased a lot at school for that" she said, with sympathy. Well fuck me twelve ways 'til Sunday - I didn't expect such a small girl to have a husky voice like that. It felt like a warm blanket to my ears.

"Not really." I stared pointedly at Katie and Cook. "Not after I got expelled for bringing a hunting knife to school." The laughter died away, and two sets of eyes stared at me, trying to decide if I was making a joke. Not Emily. Now, it was her turn to laugh, and I decided that I enjoyed the sound of it. It was impossible to hold my 'don't mess with me' stare whilst Emily was laughing. Katie spotted my smile, and chuckled.

"Okay, no more laughing at the name. Follow us and we'll show you around." I breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that they had accepted my name without question.

* * *

The next hour passed quickly, with Katie and Emily showing me around the gym. I already knew the layout pretty well - I had worked there for two months last summer - but I made a good show of being in a new place. As far as they were concerned I had never set foot inside Fitch Fitness Centre before, and was genuinely interested in the sports hall, the swimming pool, and the various other facilities.

The gym wasn't a huge place, but the trip around it took quite a while due to our constant chatting. I was at my charming, sociable best, and both of the twins showed that they were willing to be friendly. We found out that we're all about the same age - they have just turned 21, while my 21st is coming up. We had also all just finished University, and none of us had decided what we wanted to do next. Katie had done a degree in fashion, and Emily had studied art. They had both studied at the University here in Bristol. I told them about the politics degree that I had just finished at Goldman's in London.

"Politics? That sounds pretty dull!" sneered Katie. I just shrugged at her, biting back a sarcastic retort. I was trying to charm them both, after all. Instead, I explained that I thought there was a lot of things wrong in the world, and that politics was one good way to try to make changes. "I suppose so." she muttered, obviously not interested. I thought to myself that as long as there were enough fit men in the world, Katie probably thought that everything in the world was just fine. I sum people up pretty quickly, and I had already decided that Katie was as shallow as a mouse's belly button. Shoes and men were most likely the only things she really cared about.

Emily however, was different. I couldn't put my finger on it yet, but there was something about this little redhead that had me intrigued. She seemed interested in me, too. She asked me some questions about my degree, and for a few minutes we chatted comfortably about it. That is until Katie interrupted us, telling us to stop talking about 'that load of old bollocks'.

* * *

After showing me around the gym, the twins led me to the office to fill out the necessary membership forms. Katie excused herself, saying that she had something to do. As the door closed behind her, Emily giggled.

"By 'something to do', she means she's going to flirt with Cook for the rest of the day. He's the guy you met in reception."

"He seems to think he's something of a ladies man?" I probed. Emily nodded.

"yeah, he's constantly trying it on with every female customer or member of staff. Well, apart from the old biddies that come along for the pensioner swimming hour!" She paused, considering her last statement for a moment. "although, just because I haven't _seen_ him trying it on with them..." We both laughed at the thought of Cook trying to get laid with the over sixties.

"So is Katie shagging him then?" I asked, already knowing that Cook hadn't succeeded with her so far.

"No, she likes to make guys work for it. She's a bit of a prick-tease, really."

"What about you?" I asked. She frowned at me, and her face went a bit red. Woops! "No, fuck! Sorry, no!" I stammered. "I'm not asking if you're a prick tease! I just wondered if Cook's charms held any interest for you?"

Emily laughed at my attempts to assure her that I wasn't trying to insult her. I found myself relaxing a little bit, and laughing along with her. After a moment, I realised she hadn't answered my question. I asked her again.

"No!" she spluttered, maybe just a little too quickly. "He's not my type, really. Besides, I have a boyfriend." I smiled at her while I took this in.

"What's his name?"

"Gary. We've been together for..." She scrunched her face up while trying to work it out. She looked so cute like that. "Eight months. He was in my degree class."

I processed this new information. An eight month relationship was quite long. Especially from my point of view - I don't really _do_ relationships. Once I've fucked a girl a few times, I usually loose interest. Sometimes even once is enough. The fact that they've been together for that long could be a bit of an obstacle. But on the other hand, he's an art student so it's not all bad news. He's probably some bespectacled, emo with long, greasy hair and paint under his fingernails. What? I told you I sum people up quickly!

"So what about you? Does Cook stand any chance with you, Naomi?" She grinned playfully at me as she asked the question. "'Cause I can tell you for a fact he will have a go!" I looked her in the eyes, before deliberately letting my gaze fall to her lips. I paused for a couple of seconds before trailing my eyes back to hers. Then with a firm voice, I answered her.

"No. He's _definitely_ not my type." I watched her smile falter just a little as she wondered if there was any meaning behind my words. I could see she was about to probe further, but I didn't want to be too obvious just yet. I turned my attention to the membership forms on the desk, and began filling them out. It was after all, the pretended reason for my being there.

* * *

When I was once again back in reception, there was no sign of Katie. Cook was there by himself. He beamed at me as I walked in.

"Hey there, Blondie! How did it go?" I considered the question carefully. All in all, I think things had gone well, so I told him that. I had laid some good groundwork for being on friendly terms with Emily and Katie. "So, which one are you gonna go for?" He asked.

"Emily" I answered, without hesitation.

"You know she's seeing someone, right?" I flicked my hand as if brushing this seemingly insignificant detail aside. Cook carried on. "And she's like...straight, yerknow?" I laughed at him. How many supposedly straight girls had Cook seen me fuck? He was obviously thinking along similar lines. "Okay, okay!" He held his hands up in mock surrender. "So Emily's your girl. You won't mind me having a crack at Katie then, will you?" I arched an eyebrow at him.

"Thought you already _were_? Or at least trying to!" I knew this would get a rise out of him.

"I haven't laid on the full, Cookie Monster charm with her yet!" He told me with indignation. "She'll be putty in my hands when I get going. Reckon I'll have her cracked long before you've got your hand up Red's skirt!" Now that sounded like a challenge to me.

"Care to make a wager, Cook? First one to get a fuck with a twin. Fifty quid."

I saw him hesitate for just a moment. He didn't earn a fortune working at the gym, and most of his 'disposable income' went on beer and drugs. But Cook was never one to back away from a bet, and he had inexhaustible confidence in his own ability to get shagged.

"you're on, Blondie! Easy money!" We shook hands on it, and I walked out of 'Fitch Fitness Centre' with a smile on my face. My head was full of thoughts about a certain redhead, and all the fun I was going to have in pursuing her. Ideas that had up to now been rather vague, were rapidly forming into a concrete plan.

* * *

**A/N: Right, sorry about changing Naomi's last name, but I couldn't resist the idea that it was the best she could come up with when put on the spot. It's not really relevant to the story, and I won't be giving her an 'actual' last name. Which means if you want to pretend it never happened, I won't tell anyone. Okay? Okay.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow, aren't you lot just lovely? Thankyou so much to those of you that reviewed the first chapter. I was not prepared for how much it made me smile! You shame me, because I'm rubbish at reviewing.**

**I have an overview in my head of where this story will go. For those of you wondering what's going on, it won't be a big mystery that will stretch throughout the story. My intention was just to slowly reveal more details about Naomi, her motivations and her intentions over the first few chapters. That's just the way my head is telling me it must be written. So don't expect any Dickensian lawyers to limp into the story and declare that the Fitch family have swindled Naomi out of her rightful inheritance!**

**I have to admit that I'm not too happy with this chapter, it seems a bit dull. I decided just to be brave and get it out there though, because if I take to long over the exposition chapters, I'm in danger of just giving up completely.**

**Enjoy! Myrtle.**

* * *

Chapter Two

Emily

I sighed to myself and walked with Katie into the gym. I tried not to let my shoulders slump at the thought of another long day stretching ahead of me. I had only been working there for a month - ever since I had finished my degree. I suppose it wasn't a bad job really, I just felt stuck.

When Mum and Dad first suggested that Katie and I should 'learn the ropes' at the gym, we both knew what they had in mind. Their idea was for us both to join the family business. Six months ago, Dad had opened another gym on the other side of town. His dreams were now of owning a fitness empire, and he wanted to keep the running of it all in the family.

Katie and I had no intention of joining the family business. However, Katie had suggested that while a job was on offer, we keep that tiny detail to ourselves and just play along. I have to admit the cash didn't come in wrong, but I was worried for the future. Katie would never be made to do anything she didn't want to. She constantly defied Mum and Dad, and what annoyed the hell out of me was that she always got away with it. I on the other hand, was always the one to toe the line. I could see a time not too far away when Katie leaves to fulfil her half baked ideas of being a fashion designer, whilst I was left here running a gym

I fixed a bright smile to my face, and breezed into the office. We exchanged a chirpy 'morning' with Ted, and sank down onto the comfy little sofa. Ted was the current manager of the gym. Dad had hired him when he bought the second gym. He spent most of his time at the new gym now, and wanted someone he could trust at this one. Ted was an old friend of Dad's, so Katie and I had known him for years. He was in his fifties, but he tried to hide the fact by dying his hair jet black. It looked a slightly unnatural colour, next to his ageing skin. He was also a bit of a fitness freak, like my dad, so he was in pretty good shape.

Katie grabbed the schedule, and we both checked to see where we were meant to spend our day. So far, 'learning the ropes' seemed to be code for 'general dogsbodies'. Katie and I just had to fill in with whatever jobs were needed. Some days, that would be greeting new members - which wasn't too bad when it meant we got to meet people like Naomi, the girl who joined yesterday. But usually, our jobs would involve standing around by the pool, or hanging around in the main gym, helping people with the machines. Sometimes, on a really good day, Ted would show us how to keep the various ledgers and other necessary paperwork up to date. But only when we were really lucky. Did you pick up on my sarcasm there?

Today was just perfect - I was at the pool. Exchanging locker keys for large, numbered elastic bands. Wow, what a glamorous life, eh? I'm really using my degree to the full with this job. Katie was on reception, as it was Cook's day off. I groaned, said goodbye to my sister and headed down to the staff changing rooms. One quick change later - into cycling shorts and a 'Fitch Fitness' Polo shirt - and I was at the poolside prepared for a long morning.

* * *

I had been at the poolside for an hour, and I was bored. Fortunately, I spotted some light relief in the form of Panda. She bounded up to me, waving both hands.

"Hi Emily! Time for my Aqua-fit class again! I've got some new ideas for this one. I was thinking of adding a bit like this," she demonstrated some crazy looking dance moves "to that new song by Cheryl what's-her-face, who used to be married to that randy footballer who took photo's of his ding dong!"

"yeah, Panda. That sounds good" I said, not really sure what else to say.

Panda and I had been friends since college. I know to outsiders she could seem completely mental, but she was a good friend, and I wouldn't change her for anything. She started working at the gym a few months ago, teaching an Aqua-fit class twice a week. She found she had a real talent for it, and had since added several other classes to our schedules. She was certainly a hit with the members, and her classes were always fully subscribed.

"How's the wedding plans coming along?" I asked. Panda and her fiancé Thomas were getting married in a few weeks time.

"Tikkety flippin' boo, Em! Most of it's been done for months, but mum's gone a bit rarr-rarr over the wedding favours. Don't see why though. If anyone wants a favour, they'll just ask, won't they? I'll do anything for my mates, and you all know that."

I opened my mouth, but thought better about saying anything. Panda chatted on happily about more wedding preparations, until it was time to start her class.

* * *

The last of Panda's aqua-fit class had just drifted off to the changing rooms. I crouched down beside the pool to pick up a float, and that's when I saw it. A leg. Well, two legs actually - they usually come in pairs. And this pair of legs had just strolled out from the changing rooms. As I glanced up, I noticed that these particular legs belonged to Naomi. Naomi in a bikini. It was quite a sight to behold. She had long, shapely legs, a toned, flat stomach and...well, the full package. I had to admit, I was rather jealous of her figure. She looked like she had just strolled out of a Marks and Spencer's advert - you know the one, where they all look so young and so pretty, and are having so much fun, and look nothing like any of Marksies actual customers?

I walked over to take her locker key from her. I couldn't help noticing that she seemed really pleased when she saw me. I matched her grin with one of my own.

"Hi, off for a swim then?" Lame. What else would she be doing in a bikini, stood beside a swimming pool - looking for crazy golf?

"yeah, I thought I may as well get the most out of my membership for this place!" I nodded back to her, and swapped her key for a band. Unable to think of anything else to say, I just watched as she walked up to the deep end and did a perfect dive into the pool.

There was something about this girl that I liked. She was effortlessly cool, and just so full of confidence and charm. We had only met yesterday, but already I hoped that we could become good friends. I didn't usually want to befriend the gym members, but she was different. Maybe it was because she was the same age as me? I wasn't sure, but I would take any chance I could to strike up a conversation with her.

* * *

When Naomi had finished her swim, she hauled herself effortlessly from the water and walked towards me. She was a really good swimmer. The pool was pretty quiet, so I had spent most of the last hour watching her make rapid progress back and forth across the pool. She grinned at me as I handed over her locker key.

"What're you doing for lunch today, Em?" She asked, catching me by surprise both at her question and at the way she casually shortened my name.

"Dunno. Canteen, I suppose." I hadn't had chance to make myself any lunch before leaving the house this morning, so I was planning on raiding the vending machines like always. Lunch would probably consist of the oh-so-healthy crisps, apple and bar of chocolate.

"I was wondering if you felt like joining me for some lunch? There's this nice little cafe I know, not too far from here."

"sounds great," I answered, trying to keep the note of excitement out of my voice. It was just lunch with a new friend. I didn't want her to think that I was some kind of socially starved loser, excited at the prospect of eating out with her. I glanced at my watch. "I'm finished here in 15 minutes. Shall I meet you in reception?"

"Okay. Looking forward to it." She winked at me, and walked into the changing rooms. This day was starting to look up.

* * *

I walked into reception and saw Naomi straight away - dry, dressed and slouched into a seat. She stood up when she saw me. As we walked towards the door, I glanced back at Katie behind the desk. Her eyebrows shot up at me in an unspoken question, but since she was busy dealing with a customer, we couldn't chat. I gave her a little wave, and followed Naomi into the car park. When I got outside, she was stood beside a sporty, soft top BMW.

"Come on, I'll drive us there," she said, motioning towards the car. I gaped at her.

"_This_ is your car? _This_?" I circled the little two-seater in awe. How many twenty year olds have a sports car? She shrugged at me, and looked a little sheepish.

"I like sports cars. It was an eighteenth birthday present from my mum and step dad."

"Wow, I can't wait to see what you get for your twenty first!" I looked up at her in time to see a scowl cross her face.

"Nothing, probably. Miserable bastards" she muttered. I frowned, wondering what sort of parents would give her a sports car for her eighteenth, but nothing for her twenty first? She smiled and gently shook her head. "But enough about them fuckers. Let's do lunch."

We climbed into the car, and Naomi turned the key in the engine. Immediately, my ears were stung by a blast of music. Something - that may have been The Who - erupted out of the speakers. Naomi put the car in gear and swung us rather quickly out of the car park. I found myself surreptitiously checking that my seat belt had clicked into place.

After a short journey, Naomi pulled the car up outside a quaint looking cafe. A bell jangled as we walked inside. We each ordered a coffee and a jacket potato, and went to sit down at a table by the window.

The conversation flowed easily between us while we drank our coffees and tucked into our food. She asked me lots of questions about my life, and I found myself talking about mum and dad, Katie, and my younger brother James. She really listened to me. I noticed how she kept steady eye contact with me, and laughed whenever she found anything funny.

After a while, I realised I didn't know much at all about her. Whenever I asked her anything about herself, she shrugged or gave vague answers that didn't reveal very much. I found out that, apart from when she had been studying in London, she still lived at home. She didn't seem to hold either her mum or her step dad in very high regard. She was rather scornful about them both.

The only other thing I found out about her was that she was single, and had been for a while. I didn't understand that. How could a girl like this not have a boyfriend? Surely she had to fight them off with a shitty stick? Mentally, I just added it to the long list of things that had me curious about the enigma of Naomi Campbell.

As we ordered a second cup of coffee each, my phone started ringing. I glanced down, and saw a photo of Gary filling the screen. I felt a little guilty as I sent his call to voicemail. I was having fun with Naomi, and didn't want to be interrupted just yet. Besides, I would be seeing him later. As I looked back up, I saw the flicker of a smile leaving Naomi's face.

"What?" I asked, curious about what had tickled her. She shook her head and looked a little embarrassed.

"Nothing. Come on, you know I've got no love life to speak of. Tell me about yours. Tell me about this boyfriend, Gary?"

"He's a really nice guy." I smiled as I spoke about him. "He makes me laugh, and he's really thoughtful. He's not the most outgoing person, but we get on great, you know? We have a lot of fun together." Naomi nodded, but for once she wasn't looking at me. She seemed a little lost in her own thoughts.

* * *

After lunch, Naomi drove me back, at speed to the gym. She screeched into a space and yanked the handbrake up. She turned towards me, smiling warmly and casually placed her hand on my forearm.

"This was fun, Em. I'd like to do it again, sometime soon." I nodded my agreement. We exchanged mobile numbers, and I climbed out of the car. She gave me a last little wave as she raced out of the car park.

As I entered the building, I was accosted by Katie.

"Where the hell were you and that blonde skank off to?" she demanded. I rolled my eyes at her.

"She's not a skank - I like her. We just went to get something to eat. It made a nice change to get out of here for lunch."

"I'm not sure about her, Em. There's something about her... I don't know. Just watch out, yeah?"

I frowned at her. "Katie, what are you on about? Watch out for what?" She wasn't making much sense. Can't I make new friends now, without her voicing an opinion? I tried in vain to get Katie to elaborate on what the 'something about her' was.

"I don't know, Em. I can't put my finger on it." I was about to argue, but she held up a hand to quieten me. "Just watch the desk for me while I go on my lunch." With that, she was gone, and I was left to wonder exactly what her problem with Naomi was. Not that it made any difference to me - I liked her and would continue to hang out with her regardless of what Katie said.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Here we go again.**

**Thanks once again for those that have left reviews, added to favourites, alerted etc - it really is nice to know that some people are enjoying this so far.**

**At the moment I'm rattling along because I want to get past the early scene setting chapters as soon as possible. There are two reasons: 1, because of my ADD, if I get stuck and lose my momentum on the earlier chapters, I could end up stopping before I get on to the interesting stuff. I really don't think I'll stop, but I'm not taking any chances. 2, I find it really difficult to get into a story when there are only a handful of chapters there. **

**Anyway, enough from me. I've got some Cook/Naomi banter coming your way.**

**Hope you enjoy, Myrtle.**Naomi

* * *

Nice.

The word rolled around and around inside my brain.

Nice.

That was how Emily had described her boyfriend of eight months.

Nice.

Winning £10 on the lottery is 'nice'. Tropical fish are 'nice'. Grannies are 'nice'. Well not mine, she's a demented bint, but most people's grannies are 'nice'. And Emily's boyfriend is 'nice'. Not _just_ nice, of course. Her actual words were 'really nice'. But no matter how 'really, _really_ nice' he is, it still doesn't suggest firework city whenever she's with him, does it?

Yes, my last visit to the gym had definitely gone better than expected. I had already known, of course that she would be at the pool. Cook had texted me her schedule first thing that morning. So to the pool I had gone, nonchalantly wearing my skimpiest bikini. I have to admit I felt a little self conscious, wearing a bikini to a pool. If you're going for a swim, a one piece is much more apt. Bikini's are made for posing around on the beach. But it served it's purpose. I was watching Emily closely, and I noticed the way her eyes moved over my body, lingering on my curves.

Observing people was something I was good at, and Emily had given me plenty to watch so far. I didn't miss the fact that she cancelled a phone call from her boyfriend while we were having lunch. I also spotted the faint blush that had crept over her cheeks while she did it. I couldn't help but grin at the sight of it.

I had noticed too the mixture of excitement and even relief in her eyes when I had invited her to lunch in the first place. Emily was bored. I hardly knew her, but I could see that it was screaming out of her every pore. She desperately needed some excitement in her life, and I intended to give her that.

* * *

It was Friday evening, and I was at the gym. I had been there for the last hour, timing my visit to end at the same time that Katie, Emily and Cook finished their shifts. As the four of us trailed out into the car park, Cook wrapped an arm around Katie and Emily's shoulders.

"Right then, babes. How about we all go for a drink." He looked across at me. "You up for it, Blondie?"

"Sounds good." I looked across at the twins to see Katie nodding her agreement. I was disappointed to see Emily shake her head.

"Sorry, I'm meeting Gary tonight." Before I had a chance to attempt talking her into it, Katie chimed in.

"He can meet us at the pub" she said, forcefully. "He's such an old woman, sometimes - always wanting to stay in."

The twins argued on a little further, but it was obvious that Katie was going to get her way. Eventually, Emily agreed to phone Gary from the pub and tell him to join us. I could have kissed Katie. I smiled to myself at the thought of finally meeting the 'really nice,' paint-splattered emo.

"Right, that's settled then!" Cook punched the air in triumph. "We can go to my Uncle Keith's pub, it's not far from here." He glanced around the car park with a questioning look on his face. "Where's the pussy wagon, Naomikins?"

Katie let out a snort. "Where's the _what!_"

"The pussy wagon! Naomi's got a sports car, and it's just perfect for pulling pu..."

"Cook!" I quickly intervened. I didn't want them thinking that Cook's pet name for my car was what _I _called it.

Katie frowned and looked from one to the other between me and Cook. "You two know each other already?" she questioned. Cook and I exchanged a stricken look, then both started talking at once.

"Well, kind of..."

"Didn't we mention..."

"It was a coincidence..."

"We kind of met..."

Our words faded away. I glanced at the twins, who were both looking at us with interest. I cast my mind back to see if I was about to trip over any of our lies. I decided it was probably safe to acknowledge a friendship between us.

"Yeah, I thought I mentioned that" I said, as casually as I could. Fortunately, Emily and Katie just accepted it without question. "Anyway, the 'Pussy Wagon'..." I threw a greasy look in Cook's direction. "..is at home tonight, 'cause I feel like getting hammered!" There were various noises of agreement. As we strolled off in the direction of the Fishponds Tavern, Cook and I exchanged a relieved look, and I made a mental note to keep our future fabrications as simple as possible.

* * *

We were sat in the Fishponds Tavern with a round of drinks in front of us. Katie was looking around her with disgust. Her eyes were narrowed, and the sides of her mouth were curled up in a sneer. I glanced around. I had to admit, the place was a complete shit hole. The peeling, faded wallpaper must have been there since at least the 70's. The padded seats that were once probably a plush red velvet, were now threadbare and faded pink. Cigarette burns and long-dried-on gum covered every surface. Katie had at first objected to even setting foot inside the place, but Cook had reasoned that the prices were cheap, and it was still a week from payday.

My mind flicked back to the last time Cook and I had been there. It had only been a couple of weeks ago, and I had not long been back from London.

_"So babe. How's life treating my favourite muff muncher?"_

_I downed a couple of shots before answering. Cook had been there all afternoon, and was already pretty wasted. I had some catching up to do. _

_"Well, my fucking mother is driving me up the wall already. And that wanker she's married to is pathetic. The sooner I get out of that place the better." Cook grinned drunkenly at me._

_"Sounds like you need to have some fun. We should go out tonight, pull as many birds as our tongues can handle!"_

_"I suppose so. I need something new though, Cook. I'm bored of shagging slag's in club toilets." Cook frowned at me like I had said something sacrilegious. _

_"Nah, babe. A fuck's a fuck. You can't ever get bored of that!" I rolled my eyes at him._

_"It's too easy though. If you get a rejection, there's someone else right around the corner. I fancy a bit of a challenge with someone." I shrugged, not really sure how to explain to Cook what I was feeling. He downed the rest of his pint and shouted over to the bar for more drinks. As they arrived, he leaned towards me._

_"It's a shame you got sacked from 'Fuck's Fitness Centre', then." He tried to sound mysterious, but he was far too drunk to pull it off convincingly. "There's this couple of really fit birds working there now. They're classy, like. Take more than a chat up line to get into their knickers."_

_I laughed, as I wondered what on earth would constitute 'classy' in Cook's world. Probably just the fact that they wore knickers would be enough._

_"I'm telling you, Naomi, it won't be long 'til I'm the filling in a twin sandwich!"_

_"Twins?" The word caught my attention, stirring a memory. "Working at the gym?" Cook nodded. "Didn't Jenna and Rob have twin daughters?" _

_"Yeah, that's them. They're gorgeous though. Didn't inherit Rob's huge teeth, thankfully." Suddenly, Cook had my attention. I began firing questions at him about the twins. After answering a few of them, he narrowed his eyes at me._

_"Jenna really fucked you off, didn't she? I thought you'd got over that." I laughed at him._

_"I haven't spent all year brooding on it, Cook. I just think the bitch could do with having that smug smile wiped off her face. Sounds like I might have found a way to do it while having some fun!" That was good enough for Cook. He grinned his lopsided smile at me._

_"Why don't you join the gym then. They spend most of their time there."_

_"Slight problem with that - Jenna told me to never darken Fitch Fitness Centre with my presence again!" I scowled as I remembered it._

_"She's never there anymore. Neither's Rob. He opened a new gym and they spend most of their time at that one, now. Took most of the staff across with them, as well. I reckon there's hardly anyone there who would remember you now." He took a swig of his pint before carrying on. "Rob still comes over every so often to check the paperwork and the membership lists, so you better use a fake name." I nodded absently, and wondered if Rob or Jenna would still recognise me if they saw me now. I was sure a few alterations to my appearance would be easily accomplished. I downed the last of my pint and flashed Cook a huge grin._

_"Cookie, I think we might be in for some fun this summer!"_

* * *

The door to the pub opened, and Emily walked in. She joined us at the table, taking a seat next to me.

"Gary's gonna join us soon" she said as she dropped her bag to the floor. She glanced at the table and looked in awe at the four pints and eight shots currently sat on it.

"Don't worry, red" said Cook, completely misreading the look on her face. "That's just for starters." He grabbed a pint, and downed it in a single gulp, following it with two of the shots. The twins exchanged a glance, before shrugging and picking up a drink. They had silently agreed between them to opt for the 'if you can't beat them' way of thinking.

"Your round next, muff muncher!" croaked Cook. I glared daggers at him from across the table. He knew I hadn't wanted to reveal that just yet. He could be such a twat at times. It was Katie who reacted to it first.

"You're _gay_?" There was a note of disgust in her voice. She also sounded slightly incredulous, like she couldn't understand why anyone would choose to be such a thing as gay. I rolled my eyes, but flashed her a dazzling smile.

"As a window." I was sure she would pull some sort of face, but I wasn't watching. My eyes snapped straight to Emily, to see how she took this news. I couldn't meet her gaze though, as she was looking suddenly very intently at her drink.

"Let's get those drinks, Cook" I snapped. The two of us made our way to the bar. As soon as we were out of earshot, I rounded on him.

"You fucking twat, Cook. I wasn't going to tell them that, yet!" His booming laugh rang out into the room.

"Yeah, I know! But fifty quid is on the line here. I just wanna make sure it comes to the Cookie Monster!"

I glared at him in silence for a moment. So that's how it's going to be, is it? Right. Two can play _that_ game. The gloves are about to come off.

We ordered another round and carried them back to the table. I re-took my seat next to Emily, and waited until Cook was raising his pint to his mouth.

"So, Cook. Did you get rid of that chlamydia?" I watched, as my words had the desired effect. Cook snorted, spilling some of his pint over himself. Emily and Katie giggled. Cook raised his eyes to mine and glowered at me. I grinned back at him, adding a wink for good measure.

"yeah, Blondie I did" he muttered.

"'Cause you had quite a bit of trouble with that." I turned to Katie and stage-whispered conspiratorially "He smelt like yoghurt, for months." Katie threw her head back and laughed.

Before Cook could answer, the door to the pub opened and a tall guy with dark brown hair walked in. Emily jumped straight up to greet him. So, this must be Gary. He leaned down to kiss her and I felt a sudden, unexpected surge of jealousy. As they broke apart, Emily took his hand and brought him over. She introduced him to me and Cook. Gary gave us both a friendly smile. I took his appearance in with a searching glance. He wasn't exactly what I had expected. He was actually pretty good looking. He had broad shoulders and a well built frame. He had a pleasant, friendly looking face and short hair. Not a trace of paint in sight.

Cook was on his feet straight away, shaking his hand.

"Good to meet you, Gary lad." He looked down at their joined hands. "Good handshake, that. Very firm." He grinned in my direction and winked. Then he turned to face Gary again. "Bring a chair over - sit yourself down. Naomi, shove over, babe. Let the man sit next to his girlfriend."

Gary did exactly as Cook suggested and positioned his chair between me and Emily, forcing me to move my chair closer to Katie. He then wrapped an arm around Emily's shoulders. I sent a scowl in Cook's direction, but he wasn't looking. He sat back in his chair and looked appraisingly at Emily and Gary.

"You two look good together! Don't you think so, Naomi?" He sent another wink my way, before carrying on. "Yes, you two make a really cute couple!" He was clearly enjoying this. I had to get back into the game. I turned towards Katie.

"So, Katie, did James here tell you about his lovely tattoo?" Katie frowned.

"I've seen the ones on his arms. which one did you mean?" I smiled, enjoying the moment. "I'm talking about the one on his cock. He has a huge tattoo of a woman sucking him off. Her hands are tattooed onto his backside, as well. It looks terrible!" I smiled widely, as everyone burst out laughing. Cook just grinned back at me.

"I'll have to take a look at that, sometime" simpered Katie, in a flirty voice. Cook's grin stretched wider.

"Only if you're lucky Katie!" He swung an arm around her shoulders, and she eased herself into his embrace. Shit, that shot back-fired.

"Hey, isn't it your birthday next week?" Emily asked me, abruptly changing the subject. Evidently, all this talk of Cook's cock was of no interest.

Cook slammed the hand that wasn't around Katie down on the table.

"That's right! And it's pay day next Friday, so we should all go out and get monumentally fucked up!" His eyes shone at the prospect of a proper night out. "What do you say, guys?" He looked around at the rest of the group expectantly. I glanced at Katie, and noticed that she didn't look happy at the thought of helping me celebrate my twenty first.

"No, we're already going out, aren't we Em?" She looked pointedly at her sister, trying to get an unspoken message across to her. Emily wasn't taking the bait.

"We can all go out together. Thommo won't mind." She turned towards me and explained that Thommo was a DJ who was going out with her friend Panda.

"He can get us all on the guest list at the club."

"Sounds great" I agreed. Katie continued to be against the plan for a little while. This time however, Emily had the upper hand in the argument. And once Cook joined in trying to persuade her, it was soon all settled. I was beginning to think that Katie was enjoying Cook's attentions.

As the plans for our night out were agreed on, I felt a warmth in the pit of my stomach. The idea of a night out with Emily with plenty of dancing, drink and drugs sounded too good to miss. Plus I had spotted Gary's less than enthusiastic expression. I remembered Katie saying he was like an old woman. Maybe he wouldn't even be joining us. Well, if he was foolish enough to leave his gorgeous girlfriend alone for a night on the town, I could hardly be held responsible for whatever happened, could I?

* * *

**I know there wasn't too much interaction there between our girls, but I promise plenty in the next chapter. And coming up not too far away, Naomi's birthday night out. Dancing, drugs, drink - you're all invited.**

**Myrtle.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks once again to those of you who left a review. It is really lovely to know that some people out there are enjoying this.**

**To Syl887: I hadn't thought about any Neffy flirtation, but it might help me get to where I'm going at the end of their night out (no, not there - we've got a way to go yet). If I use that, you have full gloating rights.**

**Before going further, I'd like to mention something about Gary. Gary is a piece of baggage, an obstacle to be overcome. I know it. You know it. Even Naomi knows it. Sadly, that doesn't excuse how one-dimensional he is. He is nothing more than a contributing factor to Emily's boredom. I wish I could flesh him out to be a fully rounded character, but I lack the inclination to do so. He won't be around much longer. He won't even be on Naomi's night out. I've got some knitting for him to do that night.**

**Sorry for the long note, I have a terrible tendancy to over explain myself - which I have just done again...**

**Enjoy. Myrtle. **

Chapter Four

Emily

I rubbed the flats of my palms over my eyes and tried once again to concentrate on the monitor in front of me. I was making slow progress with my task. The large pile of invoices on my desk had gone down very little in the last hour. It wasn't a difficult job, just deeply, _deeply_ dull. Still, at least Ted had finally decided that I could manage without him looming over me, checking my progress. Someone should have a word with the man about invading personal space. And while they are on it, they should suggest the idea of using the showers here at the gym after a work-out. It made my eyes water just thinking about it.

My eyes drifted from the screen, and landed on the Newton's Cradle to one side of the desk. I set it away and watched, mesmerised as the ball bearings rose and fell. After a few minutes amusement, the steady click, click clicking began to annoy me. I stilled it and returned my attention once again to my work.

Tuesday morning. Was there any worse time in the world? Convention had it that Monday was the worst day of the week, but I disagreed. At least on Monday you can have all those 'how was your weekend' chats with your work mates. By Tuesday, the weekend already feels forgotten. Tuesday is the day that everyone has to knuckle down and make up for Monday's slacking off. At least in theory. So far I hadn't done too much 'knuckling down'.

I let a sigh escape from my lips, and straightened my posture. I attacked the pile of invoices if not with enthusiasm, at least with determination to get them updated onto the computer system. I managed three more, before once again my attention wandered, and my eyes lingered instead on the view out of the window. A bright, cloud free sky seemed to mock my current mood.

A gentle tap on the office door brought me out of my daydream. The door opened, and Naomi stepped into the room.

"Hi. Cook said you were in here. I just thought I'd say hello." Her eyes fell on the mound of work covering my desk. "You're busy - I should leave you to it." I shook my head in exasperation.

"I'm supposed to be busy, but it's driving me mental. Come in. Pleeeease!" She laughed lightly at the way I drew out the last word. As she closed the door behind her, I took in her appearance. She was wearing skinny jeans again, and another band t-shirt. Something of a trademark for her. She had a whole 'rock chic' thing going that really suited her.

As I read the letters AC/DC on the front of her t-shirt, I suddenly realised that she may think I was staring at her tits. My eyes darted away and I cleared my throat nervously. What the fuck was wrong with me? I had been feeling a little strange about Naomi ever since finding out that she was gay. I couldn't even meet her eyes when I first found out. My stomach had done a strange little flip, and I had to concentrate on not appearing flummoxed. When Gary had arrived, I had practically leapt out of my chair to greet him.

I couldn't understand my reaction. I'm not a bigot! I know my mother is. She's one of those people who think the Daily Mail reports unbiased facts. Every so often, she will tut from behind her paper, and mutter something like 'those lesbians, wanting to have it all'. I've been raised in a household where such opinions are the norm, but I've never agreed with them myself.

I resolved to push my discomfort out of my mind. I motioned to the seat on the other side of the desk, and Naomi sat down. She thumbed idly through the stack of invoices.

"This looks fun."

"It's the most fun I've had since I was six and found my hamster dead in it's cage." She let out a little chuckle.

I decided that it was pointless trying to pretend to work now that Naomi was here. I rose to my feet, stretching my spine and walked over to the little red sofa. As I sank into it, Naomi came over to join me. She sat down, and her leg brushed against mine. I felt my breath catch in my throat. It was a small sofa, and we were sat rather closely. I gave myself a mental shake and tried not to think about it. I gestured over towards the desk.

"Ted's training me on the computer system. All the invoices and stuff." I leaned my head back to rest against the wall. Naomi frowned at me.

"Training you? I thought this was just a summer job?" The only reply I gave was a shrug.

"Let me guess, you're parents want you to join the family business?" I nodded and gave a bitter little laugh.

"I know that's what they want" I muttered. Naomi took my hand in hers and turned to face me. I lifted my head to face her. I felt myself involuntarily bite my bottom lip as I stared into her bright blue eyes.

"What do _you_ want, Emily?" Her eyes bore into mine, like she thought she could find the answer to her question in them. Again, I did nothing but shrug. I had never told anybody what I wanted to do. But then again, nobody had ever asked before. As my silence stretched on, Naomi continued. "So, what about your art degree? You must have wanted a career in art when you chose to study it?" I shook my head.

"Nobody ever made a living out of art."

"That's not _your_ opinion?" she probed. I couldn't continue to meet her gaze. My eyes shifted to my knees, and I played absently with the hem of my skirt.

"It's what my parents say." It was true. All I had ever heard from my mum and dad was how hard they had worked to build up the business, and how success only came from hard work and concrete ideas. Anything involving creativity seemed alien to them.

"Fuck your parents! Christ, I hate it when people think their kids should have the same dreams and ambitions as them." She squeezed my hand, gently. "Tell me _right now_ - what do _you_ want to do."

"Photography." The answer came straight away. I didn't need to think about it. "I did a photography module in my course and I really enjoyed it. I'd love to study it further, but..." Naomi interrupted me.

"No 'buts'. You should do it." She said it so firmly, like it was just that easy. I shook my head at her. She let go of my hand, and it felt cold at the sudden loss of contact. "Emily, what's stopping you?" I opened my mouth to answer, but she had me anticipated. "Apart from your parents?"

"What if I'm no good? What if I can't do it?" My voice was barely above a whisper. Naomi shrugged.

"You'll never know if you don't try. Besides..." She slid her finger under my chin and gently lifted my face until I was looking right at her. "...I think you can do anything." I smiled at her, and felt a warm glow spread through me at her words.

We spent a few moments in silence after that. My head felt too full for speaking, and Naomi seemed to sense my need for quiet. After a few minutes, she began with a more light-hearted topic of conversation.

"I came by today to see if we're still on for my 'big night out' on Friday?"

"Definitely!" I was really looking forward to it. Just the thought of our night out had lifted my mood straight away. "Panda's going to get us added onto the guest list for Thomo's club night. Some of our other friends are going, as well."

"Great. As long as there will be plenty of dancing, I'm happy."

"Thomas doesn't play rock music, you know" I told her. She slapped my arm playfully.

"I don't just listen to rock music! I'll have you know, I have an _eclectic_ taste in music!" She emphasised 'eclectic', and I laughed at her choice of words. "But you _have_ to see my dancing Em. It is a thing of beauty."

"I'm sure it is, but you haven't seen anything until you've seen Panda dancing. I always fear that lives may be lost!" Naomi giggled at me, but she would realise soon enough that I was only half joking.

"So what about you, Emily? I bet you're quite the mover?" She wiggled her eyebrows, and for a moment I was reminded of Cook. I arched an eyebrow right back at her.

"I have been known to strut my funky stuff on occasion!" We both collapsed into a fit of giggles.

We chatted on quite happily for some time about our plans for Friday, until a knock on the door brought me back to reality. The door opened, and Gary stuck his head into the room. I frowned at him.

"What are you doing here?"

"I said I'd have lunch with you."

"But it's only.." I glanced down at my watch. Wow, was it really one o'clock already? Where had the time gone? "...Oh, lunchtime."

"I should go" said Naomi, standing up and looking around awkwardly. I didn't want her to go.

"No, stay. Have lunch with us." She looked for a moment to be considering the proposal, before agreeing to it. I was relieved. The time seemed to pass much more quickly when Naomi was around. The three of us trudged down to the canteen.

* * *

We were sat around a small table in the far-too-cramped gym canteen. It was nearly the end of my lunch break, and our conversation had stalled a little.

"So..." Naomi's eyes darted around, like she was looking for a topic to talk about. Gary is not the most out-going of guys, but I could see that she was trying to make an effort with him. "...You two met at Uni?" She addressed this to Gary. He smiled at me, and slid his arm around my shoulders.

"Yeah. I fancied her straight away."

"I can easily believe that" she said gently, with a little smile on her face. I felt suddenly hot, and I knew my cheeks must have gone bright red. I saw Naomi's eyes dart over to my face. Gary didn't notice anything in Naomi's words. Probably because I hadn't mentioned to him yet that Naomi was gay. Or maybe it was because there wasn't anything to pick up on. I suddenly realised how ridiculous I was being. Just because she was gay, didn't mean that she fancied me. Fuck, I have to get a grip. I tried to turn my attention to Gary as he continued speaking.

"But I didn't dare ask her out at first. We got to know each other as friends, and then it just ... it just sort of happened." He smiled at me and softly squeezed my shoulder.

"Are you from Bristol?"

"No, I'm originally from Manchester. I just moved here when I started Uni. I'm supposed to be back there for the summer, but I didn't want to leave Emily." I turned my eyes to Naomi, who was smiling back across the table at us both, an unreadable expression on her face.

"So, what about you, Naomi?" Asked Gary. And so the conversation moved on, with all of us exchanging those pleasant, rather pointless bits of information that people share about themselves when they are getting to know new people. The sort of stuff that gives plenty of facts, but nothing of any real interest.

After a few minutes more of small talk, Naomi stood up.

"I have to go. I didn't mean to spend all morning here." She pointed at me. "You kept me chatting, making me forget the time!" I grinned to myself at the thought that it wasn't just me that had happened to. I rose to my feet, and she immediately pulled me into a tight hug. I hardly had a chance to wrap my arms around her, before I felt her press her lips to my temple, then let me go.

"Bye Gary, Bye Em. See you both on Friday, yeah?" She turned away, but before she had taken more than three steps, she turned back to face me. "And Em? I can't _wait_ to see you strut your funky stuff!" She winked at me, then left the canteen.

I reached for my chair and went to sit back down. Before I did so, I felt a strong tug on my elbow, and I was dragged away from the table by Katie. I hadn't even seen her in the room. As I turned to face her, she glared at me.

"What's going on?" she hissed.

"What? Nothing. What are you on about? I was having lunch with Naomi and Gary!"

"I _told_ you I didn't trust her!" I shook my head at her in disbelief. Katie had certainly told me that, but I didn't see how anything Naomi had done could have proved Katie right. "Emily, you're so fucking naive sometimes. That lezzer's always hanging around, worming her way in!" In an instant, the pieces clicked together. 'That lezzer'. Because that was what this was really about. The real reason that Katie didn't like her.

"Katie, are you serious? So what if she's gay. It doesn't stop me from being friends with her! I _like_ her, okay? As a friend." I really couldn't believe Katie at times. She really let mum and dad's opinions rub off on her. I had always been convinced that she wasn't as narrow minded as them really, but at times like this I really questioned that. "Just mind your own business, okay?"

I returned to my seat, and was met by Gary's questioning expression.

"What was that about, babe?"

"Nothing, just Katie being...well, Katie!" I shrugged at him and rolled my eyes. "Anyway, let's talk about Friday."

"Yeah. Emily, about Friday..."

Somehow, I just knew it. I had known since we started talking about a night out that he would make an excuse. He liked going to the pub, but whenever 'going out' became a night round the town, he wasn't interested. It annoyed me sometimes that he rarely made the effort just because I wanted him to go. This time though, I wasn't going to try and talk him into it. Somewhere inside of me I knew I was relieved that he wouldn't be there.

* * *

**Updates will probably slow down from here on in. I'm hoping to give a bit of Naomi's background in the next chapter. I had her background all worked out, but I am having a major re-think about one particular point. It will be written though, and you'd better get your glad-rags on because it's Naomi's birthday. Cook will have drugs enough for everyone!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Here we go again. It took me less time than I thought, and I'm already well on the way with the next one, so watch out for it coming soon.**

**Thanks once again for those of you that take the time to review - it really does make my day!**

**So here's chapter 5. Hope you enjoy!**

**Myrtle.**

* * *

Chapter Five

Naomi

I glanced at the clock beside my bed. It was half past ten in the morning. Friday morning. Which meant I was 21. Woo fucking hoo. I was sure today would be just like any other day. Apart from tonight that is. I was looking forward to that. But as for the rest of the day, it would be no different to every other day in this fucking place.

I threw back my duvet, and climbed out of bed. I ran a hand through my hair and had a yawn and a stretch. I shuffled from my bedroom to the bathroom to take a shower. I switched the water on, stripped off my pyjamas, and stepped under the cascading water. Gradually, I felt myself becoming more awake.

After a quick shower, I wrapped a fluffy towel around me and headed back to my room. As I moved around getting dressed, my eyes landed on my phone. I had a new text message. 'Happy birthday! got afternoon off - can I come over? E. x' So Emily wanted to see me even though we were going out tonight? This was good. I texted my address to her, pocketed my phone, and headed downstairs.

I ambled into the kitchen. My mum was sat at the table with a mug of tea in front of her. She rose up when she saw me, and reached for another mug.

"Morning. Tea?" I nodded, and she busied herself with poring out my drink. She handed me the mug and slid a wrapped package across the table to me. She looked a little hesitant. "Happy birthday, love. That's from me and Malcolm."

I sat down and placed my mug on the table. I opened the card first of all. It was one of those 'to my daughter on her 21st' ones, with a sickly verse written inside. I gave mum my thinnest smile, and she beamed happily back at me. I turned my attention to the gift. I was a little surprised at getting anything. We had a really bad argument not long after my birthday last year. Mum had vowed that I wouldn't get anything at all from them in future. I had really thought that she would stick to her threat. I tore the wrapping off to find a box from an expensive jewellery shop. I sighed inwardly. Typical of my mother - expensive presents were always the answer. I opened the box and peered inside. It was a silver bracelet. I had to admit, she had chosen really well for me. It was a bangle style bracelet, shaped like a snake that coiled around the wrist. I quickly wiped the smile that had formed from my face, and turned to face my mother. She was watching me with expectant eyes.

"Yeah, thanks it's...nice."

She nodded at me, looking a little dismayed. She was probably hoping for more than the reaction I'd given, but I was in no mood for playing happy families. She got up, and busied herself with some washing up. I watched her as she bustled about the kitchen. She had changed so much since I was a child. Her bangles and long flowing layers of clothing were gone. She no longer looked like a hippy. Instead, she wore expensive, well cut skirts and blouses, and simple but expensive jewellery. She never used to care so much about money. I sighed, and stomped out of the kitchen without another word.

* * *

I was laying on my bed listening to some music when I heard a car pull into the driveway. I knew that Emily sometimes borrowed her mum's car, so I jumped up to look out of the window. A lime green Micra had pulled up behind my car, and Emily, still in her gym uniform, emerged from the driver's side. I raced down to open the front door for her. As I threw the door open, I knew I had a huge smile on my face. Emily grinned back at me as soon as she saw me. She stepped forward and pulled me into a big hug.

"Happy birthday!" she said as we drew apart. Her eyes darted around her and I braced myself for the inevitable reaction. "This place is huge! You're really lucky living here."

"Yeah, I guess." The house was quite big. Not a mansion, but a large detached house set back from the street with it's own driveway and a large garden. Malcolm, my step dad earned quite a bit of money with his own accountancy firm. I couldn't care less. As long as his firm made plenty of contributions to worthwhile charities (which I made sure it did) that was as far as my interest went.

Have you had lunch yet?" Emily shook her head, so I grabbed her hand and led her into the kitchen.

My mother was still bustling about in there. She looked up as we walked in.

"Mum, this is Emily. Emily, that's my mum. You don't have to talk to her." I walked straight to the bread bin, took out a loaf, and started cutting slices out of it. I heard my mum chuckle behind me.

"Hi, Emily. Sorry for my daughter's rudeness! Call me Gina."

I rolled my eyes, despite having my back to them both. I heard Emily and my mother chatting happily to each other as I made some sandwiches. I loaded them onto a couple of plates, poured two glasses of juice, and piled everything onto a tray. My mother needn't think we were spending our lunchtime in here with her. I picked up the tray and turned to face Emily.

"Come on." I didn't wait to see that she was following, I just walked out of the kitchen and headed upstairs to my room. Once inside, I placed the tray on my bed and sat down next to it. Emily walked in, looking a little confused at my behaviour.

"Your mum's nice."

"She's a cliché."

"She's a nice cliché."

I shrugged at her and patted the bed next to me. Emily sat down and started rummaging in her bag. She brought out a small, CD sized box covered in wrapping paper.

"Happy birthday." For a moment I was speechless. I had only known Emily for a short time, I hadn't expected her to get me anything.

"Emily, you shouldn't..."

"I wanted to. If I had known where you lived, I might have spent a bit more!" She grinned at me and pushed the box towards me. "You've probably already got it, anyway."

I tore the wrapping off. It was Exile on Main Street by the Rolling Stones. The recently re-released version with bonus tracks.

"Emily, thanks! That's great. I don't have this one." I slid my arms around her and pulled her towards me. I was really touched. Emily had taken notice of the kind of music I liked, and the thought of that gave me a warm feeling in the pit of my stomach. As we broke apart from our hug, we sat in silence for a moment, just looking at each other. I had the sudden urge to kiss her - her lips looked just so inviting. I repressed the urge, though. I knew it was too soon. Instead, I rose from the bed and went to put my new CD on. As the music blasted out, I sat back down and we started tucking into the sandwiches.

"So, do you like anything today that you didn't like yesterday?" asked Emily between mouthfuls. I frowned at her, and she looked a little sheepish. "Sorry, that's what we always say to each other in my house on a birthday."

"Why?"

"Well, before I was four, I didn't like ice-cream." I arched an eyebrow at her, feeling playful.

"How can a kid not like ice-cream? That's like saying you don't like sunshine, or you don't like kittens!" She shrugged before continuing.

"I don't know, I don't remember why I didn't like it. My mum used to tell me that I would probably like it when I was older, so for some reason I decided that I would like it once I turned four. I remember waking up on my fourth birthday, and the first thing I said was 'I'm four now. I like ice-cream'. And I did. I've liked ice-cream ever since."

I laughed, as images of a four year old Emily enjoying her first bowl of ice-cream appeared in my head.

"That's pretty lame, Em."

"Oi!" She slapped my arm playfully, and I realised that for the first time that day I felt relaxed. I really wanted to fuck Emily, but I had to admit that I was enjoying getting to know her as well. I liked her fun loving attitude, and she brought out a playfulness in me that I didn't often reveal to people anymore.

* * *

I checked my reflection in the mirror, and decided that I was ready for our night out. I was dressed in a plaid skirt that was short, but not short enough to be slutty. My top was a black, fitted vest top. I had on my favourite necklace, a long silver chain ending in a black pendant. I had straightened my hair, and done my eye make-up in a smokey style.

The remainder of my afternoon with Emily had passed happily by. We had been getting on really well. We seemed to fall into an easy rapport with each other. Again, the time had sped past us, with neither of us seeming aware of it. Eventually, Emily had realised the time and left to get ready at home. As I walked downstairs, I smiled to myself at the thought of seeing her again so soon.

"You look nice love." My mum's usual breezy tone didn't even dampen my mood. I watched as her glance fell to my wrist, that was currently sporting my birthday present. She smiled, happily. I felt a little pang of guilt at my earlier coldness. I held up my wrist.

"It's...it's nice. I really like it." It wasn't much, but it was more emotion than I usually showed her. Her smile widened, and she walked off humming tunelessly to herself.

"Don't wait up" I called over my shoulder, as I left to catch the bus.

* * *

"Naomikins!" Cook pulled me straight into a hug as soon as I walked into Keith's pub. As he sat back down, he looked me up and down. "Nice! Pulling out all the stops, I see!"

"I could say the same about you. Isn't that your best polo shirt, Cook? The one with only two holes and only a very small curry stain on it?" He looked down at himself, pulling at his top to see the stain that I had just made up. He caught my grin, and stuck his middle finger up at me.

"Fuck you"

"Fuck you right back"

"Just name the place, babe!"

We both looked round as the door to the pub opened. Ah, I see Katie is trying to re-invent a classic. The little black dress has just become the tiny black dress. She was spilling over the top of a very figure hugging outfit. Needless to say, Cook's eyes were on stalks. She clip-clopped towards us in ridiculously high heels. As Cook began showering her with compliments in his own unique style, my eyes darted to Emily. She wore a navy dress that contrasted perfectly with the bright red of her hair. It wasn't as short as Katie's dress, but it still showed off her perfect legs. It was floaty, which meant it gave tantalising flashes of thigh as she walked.

"Wow, Em. You have clothes without 'Fitch Fitness' on them!"

She sat down next to me and rolled her eyes. I dropped my teasing tone. "Seriously though, you look fantastic tonight." I looked straight into her eyes as I said it. I wanted her to know that I wasn't joking. She blushed and stared down at the table. I glanced across at Katie. Her and Cook were engrossed in their own conversation, not listening to us. "It's true. I know you think that Katie gets all the attention, but you're the only one that I ever notice." If it was possible, Emily's blush grew even deeper at that, but she raised her eyes to meet mine and grinned at me.

I realised that there was no sign of Gary. Had the old woman decided not to join us?

"No Gary?" This time Katie heard me.

"No, Gary's washing his hair tonight." Emily scowled at her sister.

The door opened again, and the next few minutes were spent in introductions as the rest of our group arrived. Our group consisted of a friendly guy called Thomas and his fiancé, Panda. I had seen her around the gym a couple of times and so far managed to avoid her. She seemed a bit too manic and over enthusiastic for my liking. There was Freddie - a guy who looked like a skater boy, Effy - a stunning brunette who seemed quite taciturn, and JJ - a guy wearing a checked shirt that looked a bit too small for him. He grinned ridiculously, and looked like he had never been around so many people at once. I stared between JJ and Panda. Christ, was this care in the fucking community?

Once everyone was seated with a drink in front of them, we chatted with each other about ourselves. Freddie told myself and Cook that JJ was a magician. Cook leapt on this information straight away.

"That's fucking ace, JJ man!"

JJ grinned happily, and began rummaging in his pockets. Eventually, he produced a business card. Cook and I crowded closer to peer at it. It had on a picture of JJ holding up an ace of spades to the camera. He had one eyebrow raised in what I assumed he thought was a mysterious manner, but since the playing card was covering the other half of his face, it just made him look slightly stunned. The sight of it did nothing to dampen Cook's enthusiasm.

"Go on, JJ! Show us a trick!" he demanded. JJ shook his head and protested, but it seemed a little fake. After a few minutes more pressing from Cook, JJ produced three different sized pieces of white rope. I smiled to myself. If he had those with him, he had already intended to show us a trick, despite his pretence of modesty.

He proceeded to prattle through some stuff with the ropes, but I wasn't really watching. My lack of enthusiasm went unnoticed, as Cook was supplying enough for us both. He laughed and clapped, and slapped his palm on the table in delight. When JJ put the ropes away, I breathed a silent sigh of relief but he wasn't done yet. He pretended to pinch something invisible from the table. He held it up for us to see, then rolled it between his palms. When he opened his hands, he was holding a red ball made of sponge. Cook gasped, and even I had to admit that I didn't see where he got it from. He rolled it between his palms, and when he opened his hands again, there were now two of them. He turned to face me, holding out the two red balls.

"Naomi. Would you hold my balls for me?" He looked so pleased at his joke. Cook bellowed with laughter. I grimaced at him. This was going to be a fucking long night.

* * *

**A/N: One thing I like about writing is being able to take the piss out of things that bug you. And cheesy magicians who use lines like 'hold my balls'? *shakes head in disgust while walking away*.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Twice in one day. I should change my name to The Fiction Factory!**

**I have been reliably informed that posting when drunk leads to good things, so here we go. Besides, I think I might need to be for this one. And to Syl887: gloat away.**

**Hope you enjoy**

**Myrtle.**

* * *

Chapter Six

Emily

After several drinks in Keith's pub, we headed on to a club. It was a popular place, and the queue stretched around the block. Thomas led us straight to the front, and we walked right in. I laughed as I spotted Cook and Katie giving sarcastic little waves to the people left behind to queue.

The place was pretty empty so far. Thomas had to be there early to get ready for his set. He kissed Panda, and ran off towards the DJ decks. The remainder of our group headed as one to the bar. Cook insisted that we were all having shots. JJ tried to get out of it, but Cook practically forced a shot down his throat. JJ gasped as the liquid hit the back of his throat. The rest of us laughed. JJ did usually drink, but not very much. If Cook got his way, JJ was going to be in a very bad way in the morning.

I turned my eyes to Naomi and watched her with interest. She stood silently against the bar, a little removed from the rest of the group. Since meeting her, she had always seemed so outgoing and talkative. I had assumed that she was always like that, but tonight she was different. She seemed to be struggling to make conversation with the others. I didn't worry too much about it, though. We were all well on our way to being drunk, and I was sure conversation wouldn't be a problem in that state.

"We'll grab some seats" said Katie, leading me away from the group. We found a couple of comfy sofas and sank into them. She had moved so quickly from the others that I felt sure I was due for another lecture. She didn't disappoint me.

"You know that she fancies you, right?"

It was pointless asking her who she meant. I just rolled my eyes at her. I didn't want to get into this with her again. Besides, I could hardly deny it any more. I had noticed the way Naomi looked at me. Katie was right, Naomi did fancy me. At first I had pretended to myself that I was imagining it, but there were too many signs to ignore. Katie decided to take my silence as agreement with her. "Be careful Emily. Get too close to her and she'll have her tongue down your throat." I laughed at her. She was being ridiculous.

"Naomi knows I'm not interested! She knows I've got a boyfriend."

"That won't stop her" she huffed.

"Anyway, you're forgetting something...I'm straight."

Katie looked me straight in the eyes and asked a simple little question.

"Are you sure about that, Em?" I rolled my eyes at her and shook my head at her stupidity. I got up and walked to the toilets without even bothering to answer. It was such a ridiculous question, that it didn't even deserve a response. Of course I was sure about that.

* * *

The club had quickly gotten busy. The place was jumping, and Thomas' set was well under way. Cook produced a little polythene bag, and started handing round tablets. I had no idea what they were, but that didn't bother me. I watched Naomi swallow one, before I held out my hand to Cook for mine. Naomi beat me to it, taking it from him. She smiled at me, and placed it in her mouth. I frowned at her. I thought that one was for me? She stepped closer to me until she was stood right in front of me. She stuck her tongue out, and I saw the tablet that I thought she swallowed sitting there. As her tongue disappeared back into her mouth, she winked at me. Realisation dawned, and a swirl of butterflies set to work in my stomach. Naomi leaned her face closer to mine. Her hand slid to the back of my neck as our lips met. I felt her lips part, and I slipped the tablet straight from her tongue into my own mouth. I felt the hand on the back of my neck tense slightly, holding me in place for just a fraction longer as her tongue gently massaged mine. Before I could protest or do anything else, it was over. Naomi had straightened up, and I was left staring open mouthed at her. Wow. Well, _that_ didn't taste like cherry chapstick!

I leant back against the wall behind me as my knees felt slightly weak. I shot a panicked look in Katie's direction. I dreaded her response at seeing her prediction of Naomi's tongue down my throat coming true so quickly. Fortunately, she wasn't even looking. She was too busy flirting with Cook. I breathed a little easier. Now, if I can just do something about my swirling stomach, I'll feel almost normal again.

Before I knew what was happening, Naomi grabbed my hand and led me onto the dance floor. I felt the baseline of the music pulsing through me as we started to dance along to the rhythm. We were so close together. I could feel the heat of her body next to mine. I was already pretty drunk, and I could feel the pill quickly beginning to take effect. The result was the lowering of my inhibitions. Naomi and I danced with abandon, skimming our hands over each other's arms and hips. We were just dancing together, right? I danced with all of my female friends like this, right?

We had been dancing like that for a while when I felt Naomi's hand slide around me to the small of my back, pulling me ever closer. I could feel her breath on the side of my neck. My head was starting to swim, and it wasn't just the drugs. I slid myself out of her grasp, shouting above the music to her about getting a drink. I walked on unsteady legs towards the bar.

I ordered another drink, knowing full well that more alcohol wasn't a good idea. I didn't really care. I needed something to do. Something to concentrate on while I tried to get the swirling mass of emotions in my head under control. I glanced around the club, looking for the rest of the group. Katie was dancing with Cook, grinding herself into him for all she was worth. Panda was dancing wildly close by, unaware of anyone around her. JJ and Freddie were stood to one side of the dancefloor. JJ looked awkward, which wasn't unusual, but Freddie had a face like thunder. I saw JJ trying to talk to him, but Freddie didn't seem to be responding. I looked around the club for Effy. It was bound to be her that was making Freddie upset. He was crazy about Effy, but all she seemed to do was lead him on. At last I saw her, and it felt like my stomach just dropped to the floor. She was dancing where I had been moments before. With Naomi. With Naomi, in a _very_ intimate way. Their eyes were locked on each other, and their hands were sliding all over each other's bodies. As I watched, Effy turned herself around so that she had her back to Naomi. She pressed her body back, keeping as much contact between them as possible. Her eyes were open and I followed her gaze to see that she was looking directly at Freddie. It was another one of her games. Naomi wrapped herself around Effy, sliding her hands over the curve of her breasts and down towards her hips. I hated it. I hated watching every second of this display, but I couldn't turn away. I stood rooted to the spot, like my brain had decided that I had to see it.

As I stood there unable to move, Naomi looked up. Her eyes locked onto mine, and she gave me a devilish grin. She lowered her gaze, and I saw her lick her way along Effy's collar bone. My insides churned as I watched the progress of Naomi's tongue. The tongue that, earlier tonight I had tasted. For a brief second, I imagined myself in Effy's place, with Naomi's tongue sliding along _my_ neck. I felt a shudder run through me, and I pushed the thought out of my mind.

Effy turned back to face Naomi, and I saw her lips moving as she said something to her. I wished I was close enough to overhear. Effy moved away towards the toilets, giving a last look and a smile back over her shoulder. I turned back to where Naomi had been, but the sea of dancing bodies had closed in and I could no longer see her. I glanced desperately back towards the toilets. Had she followed Effy in there? Were they even now, fucking each other senseless?

As my mind raced through a kaleidoscope of possibilities, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned and came face to face with Naomi. Right, not fucking Effy then. My relief hit me straight away, and I realised how silly my jealousy had been. Wait, no! I wasn't jealous. I was concerned for Freddie that's all.

Naomi took my hand and led me away. Before I knew it, we were stood outside.

"I hope you don't mind, I just needed some fresh air. And a smoke." She pulled out a packet of fags, and lit one.

"No, course not." I didn't know why she wanted me with her for that. I stood silently next to her for a few minutes watching her smoke. I was determined not to comment on her dancing with Effy, and I couldn't think of anything else to say. Eventually, the silence became too much.

"So. You and Effy?" Shit. Great job avoiding the topic. Naomi took a deep breath.

"Er, yeah. She's... she's pretty full on, isn't she?"

"I wouldn't know, I've never danced with her like that." Oh, fuck. I hope that didn't sound like I was jealous. I heard Naomi give out a soft chuckle beside me.

"Yeah, that was fun. Jealousy is such a powerful emotion." My eyes snapped up to hers. Did she know what I was feeling? She looked steadily back at me. "Freddie, you know? I could tell she was doing it for his benefit. She likes the lips." I laughed as I felt a little bit of my tension trickle away.

Naomi flicked the butt of her cigarette away. "Come on, Em. We still have some funky stuff to strut!" She once more took hold of my hand and led me back inside the club. We headed for the dancefloor, where we danced together in a much tamer way than before. Maybe she sensed my discomfort because this time, Naomi kept her hands to herself. We were soon joined by Katie and Cook, who seemed bored of their efforts at dirty dancing. I noticed Effy looking over at us, a bemused look on her face.

* * *

I was in a taxi with Katie, heading home. She took her shoes off and rubbed her feet. I didn't know how she managed it. We had spent so much of the night dancing. _My_ feet were aching, and I had normal size heels on. How Katie, with her monster heels wasn't in absolute agony, I'll never know. She caught me staring at her.

"What?" She frowned at me. I raised a questioning eyebrow at her.

"Anything you want to tell me about you and Cook?" She shrugged.

"Just a goodnight kiss, that's all." A goodnight kiss? If she had been any further down his throat, we'd have had to attach a rope to her ankle to get her back! They had stood in the taxi queue for ten minutes, swapping saliva. Naomi and I had a hard time not watching. Katie giggled.

"He's cute." I gagged at her description of Cook.

"So, are you going to go out with him?" She laughed like I had made the most ridiculous suggestion in the world.

"No way! He's good for a bit of fun, but I wouldn't go out with him! Besides, he's not looking for that. He's a 'fuck them and leave them' type. So's Naomi. Did you _see_ the way she was dancing with Effy?"

I flinched a little. Fortunately Katie missed it. I was actually trying hard to forget the sight of Naomi dancing with Effy.

We reached home and struggled out of the taxi with our shoes in our hands. Katie paid the driver, and we staggered towards our front door. On the third attempt, Katie managed to get her key inside the keyhole. She opened the door, and we lurched inside, both shushing each other loudly enough to wake the dead.

As we reached the upstairs landing, we gave each other a hug and went into our separate bedrooms. I quickly stripped off, removed my make-up and slipped under the covers of my bed. For the first time, I wished that Gary had been with us tonight. I was horny as hell. At least if he had been there, I could have gone back to his place and had a fuck. I sighed, and realised that I wasn't going to get any sleep while I was feeling so frustrated. I slid my hand lower, my fingers moving straight to where I needed them. I tried to concentrate on Gary - on the last time we had made love, but it just wasn't working. Maybe I wasn't as horny as I thought.

Unbidden, an image of Naomi popped into my head. Naomi dancing with Effy. Naomi dancing with _me_, her breath against my neck. Naomi's lips moving closer, her tongue sliding into my mouth. What would it feel like to touch her? To slide my hands up under her top, or to run my hand up her thigh? Oh, FUCK! I scrunched my eyes tight shut as I crashed over the edge.

For a moment I just lay there, panting into the darkness. Then I rolled over, and buried my face in my pillow. Fuck! Where in the name of fucking fuck had that come from?

* * *

**Hmm. That was embarrassing! I mean, that stuff's supposed to be private, right! Let me know what you think.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews - I'm running out of ways to say that I love getting them!**

**If anyone was wondering where my sudden swipe at cheesy magicians came from (I'm sure you weren't!) I have updated my profile to provide more info.**

**Right: On with chapter 7. It's time to find out about a previous 'liason' ...ahem! of Naomi's**

* * *

Chapter Seven

Naomi

I stood in the car park to Fitch Fitness Centre, finishing my fag. It was Tuesday morning, and I was planning on a workout. I was back to my previous tactics - showing up at the gym and 'coincidentally' running into Emily. I had thought I was passed this stage, but Emily had proved elusive since Friday night. She hadn't returned any of my texts, or been in touch with me at all.

It had worried me a little bit. I thought everything had been fine on Friday. I know she had been a little spooked when I gave her drugs with my tongue, but she had seemed okay after that. Fuck me, that was fun. The look on her face when I moved closer was a picture. It was a mixture of apprehensive excitement and tingly fear. I knew she didn't expect me to hold the kiss for an extra second like that, but it was a moment for me to savour.

All things considered, I had really enjoyed my birthday night out. Watching Emily while I danced with Effy had been priceless. She was trying so hard to look unaffected by it, but her eyes always gave her away. I saw the jealousy that resided in them. I was definitely making progress.

Dancing with Effy had also been an interesting diversion. That girl was certainly something. I think she was quite miffed at me that I didn't follow her into the toilets. I must admit it was tempting. She has a gorgeous body. And a filthy mind, if what she whispered into my ear was anything to go by! Dirty girls like that are something of a weakness of mine. It had surprised me, therefore that it hadn't taken too much will power to return instead to Emily's side.

What _had_ taken will power was not touching Emily again when we were dancing. I knew I had freaked her out a little bit when I had pulled her in close to me, earlier on. So when we danced again I kept my distance. It was hard though, she was difficult to resist. She had no idea just how hot she was. I found it positively adorable, and I don't even _use_ words like adorable. She must be getting to me.

As I flicked the end of my cigarette away, I saw Panda emerge from the gym. I glanced quickly around me, cursing the car park for not providing an adequate hiding place. There was no getting away from her. As soon as she saw me, she bellowed my name and bounded up to me. She swamped me with a giant hug. I unwrapped myself from her as soon as I could, and took a step back with my arms crossed in front of me. She missed my cold body language, and immediately started babbling.

"Friday was so great! I had a really whizzer time. I got like, really spaced out on those pills Cook gave us and I felt like I was surfin' on clouds the rest of the night!"

I smiled at her and took a deep breath. I felt like I needed to take a one to make up for the one's she should be taking.

"Yeah, it was a good night."

"It was flippin' mental! Thomo's set was amazing! He's well lush, I can't wait 'til we're married! We'll be doing the horizontal mambo even more than we do now!" She beamed at me, eyes open wide as a thought occurred to her. "You should come! You know, to the wedding. We're having a big party on the evening, you should definitely be there. That way, the whole gang from Friday will be there!"

I didn't know what to say - weddings were not really my thing. I thought the whole 'love and commitment' stuff was a load of bollocks. Fortunately, Panda didn't seem to need any response. This girl could talk for ever.

"It's a shame you missed my hen night. I had a pyjama party. Katie came and Emily, and Effy. We played twister, we made brownies, we went on the bouncy castle!"

"Bouncy castle?" Christ, was this girl for real?

"Yeah, it was ace! Shame you weren't there - it would have been so much more fun - you could have rolled on the bouncy castle."

I was certainly glad that I _had_ missed that, but there was something about Panda that was making me grudgingly start to like her. I admired her boundless enthusiasm for the world around her. I thanked her for the invite to the wedding, resolving inwardly to think up a suitable excuse before I saw her again. We said our goodbyes and I watched her skip out of the car park, before I headed into the gym.

As soon as I walked in, Cook moved around the reception desk, and wrapped me into my second hug of the day.

"Naomikins! Fuck me, Friday night was good."

"Yeah, it was great. You seem to be doing well with Katie?" It was true. I thought the two of them would never surface for air in that taxi queue.

"Yeah! I'm telling you, that girl is fucking gagging for it."

I laughed at his over-stating of the facts. She was certainly interested, but gagging for it was laying it on a bit thick.

"No luck yet, though?" I asked. He shrugged.

"Getting there, Naomi! All in good time. They all come to the Cookie Monster in the end! Anyways, what about you?"

I mulled it over for a while before answering.

"I'm not sure, now. Things were going great, but I haven't heard from her all weekend."

"She's probably been banging that boyfriend of hers!"

I winced at the thought of it, but I had to admit that Cook may well be right. They didn't get to spend a lot of time together, so weekends were likely to be a shag fest.

"I wonder what I'll spend my fifty quid winnings on?" Mused Cook, aloud. I flipped him the finger.

"Don't spend what you don't have, Cook. I'm getting there with Emily, you'll see."

I walked into the gym and headed straight for the locker rooms. I threw my bag down on a bench and started to change into my training gear. As I looked around the room, I remembered being back here, about ten months ago. There had been a girl. Beth? Becky? Fuck it, I can't remember. What I can remember is that she was pretty hot.

_It was nearly closing time. I was having a last look around to make sure the place was empty. As I walked into the locker rooms, I saw her. I had been watching her train on the machines, but I thought she had left. She had showered, and changed into a tight t-shirt and a little white skirt. We had been flirting with each other quite openly for a few days, and I was struck with the feeling that she was hanging around, waiting for me. She soon confirmed my suspicions._

_"Naomi, I was wondering if you maybe wanted to have dinner with me tomorrow night?"_

_"You mean on a date?"_

_She nodded, playing nervously with her long hair. I shook my head. _

_"I don't really do dates."_

_She tilted her head to one side and frowned at me._

_"Well, if you don't do dates, what do you do?"_

_I arched an eyebrow at her and looked her up and down. I was just going to have to show her, wasn't I?_

_"This." I pushed her back against the wall, pressing my lips to hers. She responded immediately, opening her mouth and letting my tongue in. My hands roamed over her soft skin. My lips moved down to her neck, and I felt her hands tangle in my hair. I slid a hand up inside her t-shirt, and squeezed roughly at her tits. My other hand slid up her skirt, between her legs. I heard her gasp, and she pulled my face back up to meet hers. As our lips met again, I slid my fingers inside her knickers. I could feel how turned on she was already. _

_I was just thinking about pulling her knickers off, when I heard the door to the locker room slam shut. I span around, and came face to face with Jenna Fitch. She stood in front of me, her mouth agape, her eyes blazing with a mixture of shock and disgust. The girl behind me muttered something, before straightening her clothing and dashing out of the room. _

_Jenna continued to stare at me. I felt anger rise within me at the look on her face. It was the revulsion there that really got to me. Couple that with the fact that I was turned on as hell, and now not going to get a fuck. It led to my reckless side coming right to the surface. I was probably going to lose my job now anyway, I may as well go out fighting. I grinned at Jenna, and slowly licked my fingers clean. Her expression darkened even further. If it were humanly possible for smoke to pour out of your ears, Jenna would have done just that._

_"Hi Jenna, you're looking very beautiful today!" My words finally prompted a reaction from her._

_"What! what...you..." She took a deep breath, and started again with a calmness that I could tell was forced. "I didn't know that you were a le..." Her sentence trailed off into silence. I glared at her. She couldn't even say it._

_"A what?" I snapped at her. "A Leo?" Jenna's eyes narrowed ferociously. "Ohhh." I dragged the word out, pretending I suddenly understood. "A lesbian. You didn't know I was a lesbian."_

_She flinched. The woman actually flinched as I said the word._

_"You are fired!" She spat at me. Big surprise there, I hardly saw that one coming! I wasn't finished yet, though._

_"For being a lesbian? Let's be honest here, Jenna. If I were fucking a man when you walked in, you would probably have turned a blind eye!" I didn't strictly believe that, but I knew Cook got away with a hell of a lot that at least Rob knew about. I wasn't going to drag Cook's name into this, however._

_"Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you!" Spat Jenna. "You'd like me to admit that it's because you're a... because you're gay, wouldn't you?" She was working up quite a head of steam now. She was walking towards me, jabbing her finger at me. "Then you can sue me for millions of pounds for wrongful discrimination! I read the Daily Mail! I know that's what you...you...people do!" She was so furious that little globules of spit were hurling from her mouth at every word._

_"Well, you can't argue with the Daily Fucking Mail, can you? If it's in there, it must be true!" Sarcasm dripped from my words._

_Jenna took more deep breaths. When next she spoke, her voice was lowered again._

_"I want you to disappear now, Naomi. I never want to see you in this gym again." She stared at me for a moment longer, before spinning around and storming from the room, the door banging shut behind her once again. _

_I stood there for a moment just dazed, before coming to my senses. Oh no, Jenna Fitch. There was no way you were having the last word. I wrenched open the door, and followed her out into the corridor. She was a few steps ahead of me, walking towards reception. I made a quick detour to the staff room to grab my bag, before following on behind her. I grabbed her arm and span her around to face me. She looked shocked that I had dared to touch her._

_"You, are a bitter, venomous, bigoted old cow." I tried to keep my voice calm. I wanted each of my words to hit home. "And I don't want to work in your gym any more, you thundercunting fuck-bucket!" I glanced over her shoulder, and saw Cook behind the desk, doubled up with silent laughter. "Don't get fit... get FUCKED!" I roared the last word at her, getting right in her face. Then I took a step back from her and flipped her the finger while smiling sweetly. As she glowered at me, I turned and walked calmly out of the gym. _

_It was only once I got outside that I realised I was shaking with the anger that was coursing through me. Confrontations always did that to me. I climbed into my car, and pulled out a cigarette. I lit it, and took deep calming lungfuls of nicotine._

I knew that what I was doing now was a _slight_ overreaction to Jenna's bigotry. I can hardly deny that I would have got the sack from most places for fucking someone at work, regardless of sexuality. But people like Jenna really got to me. I hated such small minded opinions. It wasn't just because I was gay. I detested any kind of discrimination, whether it be due to race, gender, sexuality or anything else.

Besides, this wasn't just about Jenna. I loved the excitement that came from the hunt. I was going to have plenty of fun with Emily, and pissing Jenna off just came as a pleasant side-order. Okay, I will admit that I'm going to cherish the look on her face, when it all comes to pass!

I felt a momentary flicker of guilt at the thought of Emily getting caught up in all of this, but I pushed it away. It's not as if I was going to push her into anything that she didn't want. We would both have some fun together, then Emily could go back to her dopey, mundane boyfriend.

As I walked into the main gym, I immediately sought out Emily. I saw her straight away, the flame-red of her hair drawing my eyes to her. She was spotting for a guy lifting weights. She glanced over to me when I walked in and gave me a watery smile. I grinned back at her. She looked back to what she was doing with much more attention than I was sure it warranted. I selected an exercise bike, and started pedalling. My eyes were continually drawn in Emily's direction.

When she finished what she was doing I expected her to come over, but she busied herself with something on the far side of the room. She was bending over an unoccupied machine. I couldn't see what she was doing, but it didn't look like much. It seemed that she may be avoiding me. Never one to avoid awkwardness, I stepped down from the bike and strolled over. She was so engrossed in whatever she was pretending to do, that she didn't see me until I was right at her.

"Hi Em. You okay?"

She jumped a little as she straightened up. I tried to look into her eyes, but they wouldn't meet mine.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She stared intently at her fingernails, positively _not_ fine. A silence stretched between us that I felt the need to fill.

"So, Friday night was good."

She nodded in response, but her eyes darted around the room, looking anywhere but at me. Her eyes dropped once again to her fingernails, and she began picking at them. Okay, bull-by-the-horns time. I stilled her hands by placing my own around them.

"Emily, have I done something wrong?"

She took a deep breath, and then finally her eyes met mine. I saw what seemed to be embarrassment there, but I couldn't think why. Then she smiled, and the unease seemed to shift slightly.

"No, I'm sorry. I was just...I'm sorry."

Whatever was bothering her, she seemed to have resolved to let it go. I wasn't going to discover what it was. I smiled at her.

"So, we're still friends, right?"

She nodded, and grinned much more warmly this time. I gazed back at her, into those beautiful brown eyes. They were so expressive, always showing her emotions. I felt a little swarm of butterflies set up camp in my abdomen. I sighed inwardly. I felt like this, just from looking into her eyes? Oh, Emily. What are you doing to me?

* * *

**A/N: I just wanted to point out that there were a lot of lockers in that locker room, but Naomi somehow managed to push the unnamed girl up against a wall. I couldn't bring myself to have Naomi push anyone but Emily up against lockers!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thanks once again for the reviews. I was so pleased at the response to that last chapter, and I'm glad you all appreciated Naomi's stirling efforts to avoid those lockers!**

**One or two people have pointed out that this story is not exactly original - I couldn't agree more. I haven't read any fan fiction like this, but that's only because I'm quite new to fan fiction. I know there must be plenty. I'm sure we've all lost count of how many films, TV shows etc have used a similar premise, but the idea is even older than any of them. When I started writing this, I decided to base a story on one of my favourite books: Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Choderlos De Laclos. I'm a bit of a classic literature nerd. It's a fantastic book, an epistolary novel that I would highly recommend. I have no talent for coming up with original plots, I just wanted to give you my version of a classic.**

**So there we go, loosely based on that. Only without the lesbian undertones..._over_tones are so much more fun! **

**Anyway, that's enough waffling from me (I mentioned that I have a tendancy to do that, right?) Here, with a slight nod to Buffy in the first paragraph, is chapter eight. **

* * *

Chapter Eight

Emily

Well I was embarrassed, to say the least. I couldn't believe that I'd even done that. That I had thought about Naomi while I... well, do you remember that song by the Divinyls? Right.

It didn't mean anything. It _couldn't_ mean anything. I was drunk, right? Oh, and there were drugs. I nearly forgot about that. See? It didn't mean anything. I was just drunk, high and horny, and my mind was wandering after an _eventful_ night out.

I remember reading an article in a magazine some time ago, about how most straight girls have a crush on another girl at some point in their life. Not that I had a crush on Naomi. Oh no, there was no crush there. I couldn't help noticing how attractive she was, that's all. And it's not as though she's the only girl I've ever noticed. I've found other girls attractive before. Not in _that_ way, of course - it didn't mean anything.

That didn't stop me feeling really awkward around her. I couldn't even read her text messages without blushing. I knew I was being ridiculous, but I couldn't help it. So, I did the mature thing. Yes, I ignored her all weekend. Except I wasn't really ignoring her, I was just taking some time to get my head around this stuff. I knew I would have to face her sooner or later. Sure enough, she showed up at the gym on Tuesday. I told myself to just act naturally around her, but I knew it wasn't working. I couldn't even meet her eyes.

Have you ever had dirty thoughts at an inappropriate time? I'm sure everyone does. You think about sex while you're having your haircut. You remember a raunchy scene from a movie while you're having dinner. Well whenever I have such thoughts, my mind always follows it up by presenting me with the idea that the person I'm with at the time can read my mind. I know mind-reading isn't possible, but my brain always asks the question 'what if it _were _possible, and this is the one person who can see what you're thinking right now?' Silly, right? But that's my mind for you. And that was why I couldn't look at Naomi. What if she just _knew_ what I'd done?

My awkwardness didn't last long though. It couldn't last long around her. As soon as she had asked me if she had done anything wrong, I crumbled. I realised how ludicrous I was being, and I resolved to bury my confusion deep inside.

So things had got back to normal, and we had spent so much time together over the past few days. Despite whatever confusion I may be feeling, I was still loving spending time with Naomi. I was enjoying her company so much. That's all it was - enjoying our new found friendship.

* * *

It was my day off from the gym. I had no plans made, so I was lying on my bed, wondering what to do. My brain didn't want to concentrate on forming an agenda, so I was just lying there listlessly, waiting for inspiration to strike.

As if in answer to my hopes, my phone rang. I glanced at the display - Naomi. As soon as I answered, I could tell that she wasn't happy. Her voice was very low, like she was struggling to get her words out.

"Can we go somewhere? Anywhere."

Our conversation on the phone was brief. Naomi was going to pick me up from the house, and we would go off for a drive somewhere. As I waited for her to turn up, I changed my top, brushed my hair, and got a few things together to take with me.

When I heard the car pull up outside, I was out of the house in a second. I climbed into the car and examined Naomi's face. There was no sign of any tears - I couldn't imagine Naomi being the tearful type - but something was obviously bothering her. I hoped I would find out what. She didn't really give much away about herself, but I wanted to know what was troubling her.

"Where to?" Was all she said to me.

"I know somewhere. I'll give you directions."

We travelled in relative silence. The only sound interrupting the hush were the directions I was giving. I longed to ask her what was wrong, but the silence was oppressive and I lacked the nerve to break it.

We reached our destination - a little dirt track pushing it's way through a forest. Naomi pulled the car to the side of the road, and we both climbed out. I led the way from the road to a little clearing, where a lake stretched out before us. I glanced at Naomi, who was looking around us, taking it all in. A half-smile played on her lips.

"It's lovely. It's a lovely place." She sounded more relaxed already.

"It's one of my favourites" I told her. It was true - I often came here by myself. It was somewhere I could go to just _be. _It wasn't me and Katie. It wasn't me and Gary. It was just me. Except now, I suppose it was me and Naomi. But that didn't mean anything.

I took a deep breath, tasting the air that always seemed so much fresher than in the city. It was a glorious day. The sun bounced off the surface of the water, making it sparkle, and the foliage around us revealed summer in abundance.

Naomi walked back to the car, and returned a moment later with a blanket that she spread on the ground. My eyes stayed on her as we both sat down. The mood had lifted a little, so I decided now was my chance.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

Her eyes darted nervously to meet mine.

"Nothing. There's nothing wrong." She shrugged. Okay, is that how she's going to play it? However, before I had a chance to decide on my next attack, she let out a low sigh.

"I just had a bit of a row with my mum, that's all."

Progress. If I stepped carefully, maybe I could get her to open up a little bit. I decided to avoid the direct question of what the row was about.

"You don't get on well with her, do you?" I probed. She shook her head, and lay back on the blanket. She looked up into the sky.

"No, she's a bitch. She uses people all the time."

I frowned. Gina had seemed really nice when I met her. A little ditzy maybe, but the last person I would expect to use people. I stayed silent though, hoping that Naomi would add a little more to her statement. She did.

"She married Malcolm for his money. She doesn't love him. My dad wasn't good enough for her. She wouldn't marry him, because he didn't earn enough for her liking."

This was the first time I had even heard Naomi mention her real father. I wanted to know more about him and why he wasn't around.

"What happened? With your dad, I mean."

"He was great." A child-like smile spread across her face as she remembered. "He would always have time for me, playing games with me - stuff like that. Then when I was about five, the bitch kicked him out." The smile was gone, replaced by a dark frown.

"Your mum kicked him out?"

"She had been on at him for ages about earning more money, then one day I came home from school and he was gone. She never even let him see me again." She blinked furiously, and I could tell she was fighting tears. They didn't fall though. She gave a big sigh and carried on.

"Mum really changed after that. She smartened herself up, stopped looking like a hippy. She only went out with people if they earned enough money. Eventually, she met Malcolm. She hooked him, reeled him in, and didn't let go until he married her."

I stared incredulously at her. I was struggling to reconcile what I was hearing with the sweet woman I had met at Naomi's house. Could this really be true? I looked down at Naomi, still staring blankly at the sky. She looked more lost and vulnerable than I had ever seen her, and I could tell she wasn't making any of this up.

She sat up suddenly, and cleared her throat a little nervously. She was clearly not used to sharing much about herself.

"Come on. You don't want to hear about that. Lets go for a swim." Her voice was back to it's normal confident sound. She rose to her feet. Before I knew what was happening, her t-shirt fell on the rug in front of me. I stared at it as her trainers landed on top of it. I held my breath as my eyes trailed up her rapidly de-clothing body. She shimmied out of her jeans and stood there in front of me in nothing but her underwear as if it was the most natural occurrence in the world. She grinned down at me as I took a much needed gulp of air.

"The sun won't shine for ever."

What the hell, why not? Me and Naomi, in our underwear together. And about to get very wet. Together. Fuck. It doesn't mean anything, okay? It doesn't mean _anything_.

I rose to my feet, and started stripping off my things. Happy to see that I was complying, Naomi was already off to the edge of the lake. She launched herself into the water. I dropped the last of my removed clothing down on the blanket, and jumped in to join her.

We played about in the lake for some time. It was so much fun. We swam, we splashed each other, we dunked each other. We were laughing for practically the whole time. I couldn't remember laughing so much over so little.

* * *

When the water felt too cold to stay in, we clambered out. We dried ourselves off as best as we could, using the blanket as a towel. We got dressed, and sank down next to each other on the grass. A comfortable silence hung in the air between us.

As the silence stretched on, I found my mind wandering back to our earlier conversation. I longed to bring it up again. I wanted to know more about Naomi, but I wasn't sure how to begin. I didn't know if she would still be in the mood for sharing. After a few moments puzzling about it, I looked across at Naomi to see her watching me intently.

"What's on your mind, Em?"

"You." I answered, simply. "I was thinking about what you told me before, about your mum."

Her eyes dropped to the ground, but she didn't suddenly change the subject, so I decided to carry on.

"I was wondering if that's why you've never really had a relationship with anyone. You know, a girlfriend I mean." I looked away suddenly. I felt a little embarrassed, talking to Naomi about girlfriends. She hadn't told me that she'd never had a relationship, but I knew it was true. I had figured out enough about her to see that she had never shared that intimacy with anyone.

"What makes you think that?" Her voice was heavy with mock indignation. "I'll have you know that I've had loads of..." Her sentence trailed away as she frowned to herself. She shrugged. "Okay, I guess I haven't."

"I'm sure you've _shagged_ plenty."

"Oh, yeah." She grinned absently to herself, before snapping out of her reverie. "Not _plenty. _I mean, maybe a few." She seemed suddenly embarrassed, not wanting me to think that she was promiscuous. I chuckled gently, and she giggled along with me, believing that she had convinced me. I knew I had pretty much hit the nail on the head with 'plenty', though. I wasn't judging her. Promiscuity wasn't my thing, but I would never criticize anyone else for it.

Naomi stared past me at one of the bags that I had brought out of the car. She pointed at it.

"What's in the bag?"

Ah, the familiar sound of Naomi changing the subject. You know how a car judders when you try to change gears without the clutch properly engaged? Sometimes that was how conversations with Naomi felt.

"I brought my camera." I reached for the bag and slid out my digital SLR camera. I always brought it with me when I came to the lake. I took it with me to most places I visited. It was only an entry level SLR, but it was my pride and joy. I would love to get a professional SLR one day but for now, dream on, Emily.

I threw the strap around my neck, and pointed the lens at Naomi. She struck a pose immediately. I began snapping away as she threw herself into a succession of elaborate positions.

"That's it, work it baby!"

Yet again, we were laughing ridiculously. I took plenty of photos. Some were of the view, but most were of Naomi. After posing for several photos, she took the camera from me and insisted on making me the model. I'm much more comfortable on the other side of the camera, but we were both in a very silly mood by now. I posed extravagantly, like Naomi had done.

After taking probably over a hundred photos between us, we sat back down to peer at the digital display of our handiwork. We leaned in close together to stare at the screen. Naomi's arm brushed against mine, and for a moment I held my breath. she leaned a little closer, resting her temple against mine. I let the breath out shakily, and tried to act normally.

As we looked through the photos, we made various comments about which ones we liked. Naomi looked great in all of them. There were some when she had just posed seriously for me and the results were breath-taking, even on the tiny viewfinder. There were several that I knew would be worth printing out. There was one in particular that struck me. She was sat on a rock looking out over the lake, looking so relaxed. She had the most beautiful smile on her lips.

I knew that I was going to print that photo out to keep a copy. I might even find a frame for it. What? I have photos of all my friends! It doesn't mean anything. It _really_ doesn't mean anything. It doesn't mean a thing.

* * *

**A/N: We will re-visit the stuff about Gina later. Trust me, I haven't changed her too much. **


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Naomi

I hadn't meant to open up to Emily like that. I hadn't meant to go running to her like a child running to it's mother, after my row with mum. I hadn't meant to tell her about my father. But I had. I had done all of that. She had learned more about me in one morning than I had ever really shared with anyone.

That's not me. I don't let people in. Cook is the closest I have to a best friend, but he doesn't really know me. We get drunk together, we fuck people, we compare notes about it. That was the extent of our relationship. We bitch about our fuck-up parents to each other, but we never exchange details.

I don't even know why my row with mum had got me so upset. It hadn't been anything out of the ordinary. I can't remember what started it but like all our disagreements, it ended the same way. With me yelling at her that she only cared about money. Like always, she yelled back that it wasn't true. As if she could convince me, when I knew her better than anyone.

The argument wasn't even as bad as the one we had last year. After that one, she had vowed to me that if I disliked Malcolm's money so much, I would get nothing more from either of them. That was the reason I had started working at Fitch Fitness in the first place. In a bid to show them both that I didn't need their money. Cook already worked there, and put in a good word for me with Rob. Of course, the job hadn't lasted long, but I hadn't bothered to get another one yet. Mum and Malcolm were still paying for my living costs without grumbling. And they must have forgotten that they're still paying for my car insurance.

But sharing myself with Emily like that had really shaken me up when I thought about it later. It was very unlike me. I was really beginning to enjoy her company. Of course I fancied her - Jesus, when she stripped down to her underwear at the lake, I had trouble stopping myself from just grabbing her right then - but she was great fun to be around as well. That was something pretty new to me. To be honest, it scared the crap out of me. The sooner I got her into bed the better.

Today, I was once again at the gym. I was meeting Emily for lunch. As I walked into reception, two people sprang apart at the sound of the doors opening. Cook and Katie both looked around at me guiltily, before relaxing when they saw it was me.

"Fuck, Naomi! I thought you were a proper customer or something!" said Katie, clutching at her heart. I rolled my eyes at her.

"Aren't I? I mean, I am a member of this gym!"

"Yeah, but you're not going to go running to tell my dad that we're making out instead of working though!"

I giggled. She was right about that. I was trying to avoid any and all conversations with Rob for the foreseeable future. Katie glanced at her watch.

"Fuck. Sorry, Cook. My lunch break is up - I'd better get back to the office. Ted promised to show me how to update the purchase ledger. Should be fun." She yawned elaborately, in case we missed the sarcasm in her voice. She flashed Cook a smile and left the reception, giving us both a little wave.

Cook gave me his biggest, shit-eating grin.

"I'm making progress! She has just invited me to be her 'plus one' at Panda's wedding! It's gonna be a big posh do at some big country estate hotel. Aaaand..." he wiggled his eyebrows for emphasis. "...We're gonna stay there overnight!" He beamed at me looking for all the world like the cat who'd got the cream. Not yet, you haven't Cook. When he saw I wasn't as impressed with this as he expected, he added "In the same room. Me. And Katie. In the same room."

I raised my eyebrows at him. He obviously thought I didn't see what he was getting at.

"She'll be riding my fuckstick before the night is out!"

I rolled my eyes to hide my displeasure at this news. He was definitely gaining ground over me. Panda had only invited me to the evening do, not the whole wedding. Besides, Emily was going with Gary. She had already told me that the two of them had booked a room to stay overnight. Cook knew that, and decided to rub it in.

"So, there'll be me and Katie, fucking like rabbits in one room, Gary and Emily, fucking like rabbits in another room. I hope this hotel has strong foundations!"

"Fuck off, Cook." I flipped him the finger. It was the best retort I could come up with. Cook's words had stung me in a way that I knew he hadn't intended. He was only trying to rile me about the bet, but the thought of Gary and Emily going at it was now stuck in my mind's eye. It sent a bolt of pain into my stomach. What the fuck was wrong with me? I knew from the start that Emily was fucking Gary. Why was the thought of it suddenly making me feel sick? I had to get a grip over myself.

"Hi, Katie said you were here."

There she was, standing in front of me looking so pleased to see me. I cast my eyes over her. How Emily managed to make the gym outfits look sexy, I'll never know. I grinned back at her, and followed her along the corridor.

We reached the canteen, and stared at the choices. As usual, there was a selection of very uninspiring sandwiches on offer. We each chose from amongst the least offensive looking. As we paid for them, Emily suggested that we take them to the staff room. I agreed. The staff room wasn't particularly great, but it was more comfortable than the pokey canteen. It would be quieter too. With a bit of luck, we may get to spend some time alone together.

We walked into the mercifully empty staff room, and I glanced around. It hadn't changed much since I was last there. My eyes went to a frame on the wall. It contained a supposedly inspirational message to the staff:

Dance like no one's watching,

Work like you don't have to, and

Love like you've never been hurt

I remembered Rob putting it up, thinking that bullshit instructive sentiments like that would create a good staff morale. I realised with a small chuckle, that the graffiti was still there. Someone, I seem to remember it being Cook, had changed one of the lines with felt-tip to read 'work like no one's watching'. Rob must never have noticed.

I sat down next to Emily on the little sofa. I pulled my rather pathetic looking sandwich from it's carton and peered at it, trying to decide what on earth was in it. It was probably something very healthy and therefore mostly inedible. I took a tentative bite and discovered I was wrong. It was in fact _completely_ inedible. Thank god I was here for the company and not the food.

The door to the staff room opened, and Panda practically bounced into the room. She grinned ridiculously at us both. She had her hair pulled up into lopsided bunches, and she wore so many colours she looked like she had been vomited out of a rainbow.

"Hi Emily, Hi Naomi" she gushed. I gave her a small smile.

"Hi Panda. Everything set for the wedding?" Asked Emily. Panda immediately began an avalanche of words, describing details about her upcoming wedding. I just sat there, trying to pretend I was listening intently. Christ, where was the off switch on this girl?

As her words eventually faded away, both Panda and Emily looked expectantly at me. Shit, had I just been asked a question?

"Huh?" It was the best I could manage.

"I said you will come, won't you?" Panda looked at me with a look of hope fixed on her features. Fuck, I never did think of a suitable excuse. What the hell can I be doing that Saturday, that means I can't go to the wedding?

"Come on, Naoms. It'll be fun." Now Emily was looking at me hopefully. For a moment, I was silent. I was too busy processing the casual way that Emily had shortened my name. Normally, I hated people giving me a nickname. But coming from Emily, I decided that 'Naoms' had a lovely ring to it.

Okay, they were still needing an answer to a question here. Think! There must be a million suitable excuses to avoid a wedding! I glanced back to Emily, and saw the anticipation in her eyes.

"Yes, I'll be there." Fuck. In what way did that resemble a pretext for avoiding Panda's nuptials? Panda clapped her hands together and jumped up and down on the spot. What kind of shit was this girl on? And did she have any to share?

"Great! the evening do starts at seven. Emily can give you the address. See you there!" With that, she picked up her bag, waved to us both and left the room.

Emily beamed at me. Well, at least she was happy I was going. I wasn't too sure that a whole evening spent watching Gary dancing with Emily was going to be very entertaining. At least Cook would be there, but he would probably spend most of the evening dribbling into Katie's ear.

"I printed off some photos from the lake." Emily reached into her bag, and brought out a small folder. She brought some photos from it, and we both leaned closer to look through them.

"Wow, Emily these are really good." Of course, I would have praised them even if they were shit, but the photos _were_ really good. I don't know much about photography, but I could tell that Emily had a real talent. My heart melted a little when I saw her blush. She clearly wasn't used to getting compliments.

"I mean it. You're really talented." She gave me a small smile, and we went back to looking through the photos. The difference between the ones I had taken and the ones she had taken was palpable. I preferred the ones I had taken though, simply because Emily was in them instead of me. I picked out a couple of my favourites.

"Can I keep these?"

"Keep whichever ones you want. I can print out more."

I also picked out a couple that Emily had taken without me in, of the lake.

"This one's my favourite." Emily pulled a photo from the pile of me sitting, looking out over the lake. "You look really...nice." Her last word was barely above a whisper. I turned my body on the sofa to face her, but she was staring intently down at the picture, avoiding my eyes.

"Emily." Still she wouldn't raise her eyes. I placed my hand on the side of her face, stroking my thumb gently along her cheekbone. At last, her eyes met mine, and I heard her breath catch in her throat. I leaned closer to her. My eyes drifted to her lips for a second, before returning once again to her eyes. She stared back at me, not moving a muscle, barely even breathing. I watched her eyes do a similar dance, flicking down to my lips, before raising again to meet my gaze. It was all the invitation I needed. I leaned closer again, bringing my lips to hers. The kiss was so soft.

After a moment or two of our lips moving against each other's, I felt Emily's hand on my waist. Before I knew what was happening, her tongue pressed gently against my lips. I opened them, and felt Emily's tongue stretching to meet mine. She moaned, and the sound sent a burst of longing through my body.

In another second, it was over. I had to stop myself from toppling forward as Emily leapt away from me, getting to her feet.

"Emily..."

"No! I shouldn't have... I didn't mean to..."

As she rambled on, I rose to my feet. I tried to put my hands on her shoulders, but she shrank back from my grasp.

"Don't!" She said in alarm, practically shouting. She took a deep breath, then spoke again, this time quieter. "Naomi, I'm straight okay?"

I took a step towards her. I wanted to wrap my arms around her, to pull her close to me, but for every step I took, she retreated one away from me.

"I like guys." She stared at me with her eyes wide, willing me to understand and believe her. "I like sex _with_ guys. I like their broad shoulders, their bums, hairy chests, stubble. I like...cocks and balls, you know?"

Before I could do anything more, she snatched up her bag and turned to leave. She left her half eaten sandwich. She left the photos, that had spilled over the floor when she stood up. As she wrenched open the door, it revealed a very amused looking Cook on the other side. The sight of him gave her a moment's hesitation, before she pushed her way past him and along the corridor away from me.

"Emily!" I darted after her, but by the time I reached the corridor, she was already well ahead of me. I decided instead to give her some space. I returned to the staff room to find Cook sprawled out over the sofa, grinning ridiculously at me. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"How long were you stood there?" I asked with suspicion. Cook shrugged at me.

"When I reached the door, I heard 'I like sex with guys'. Sounds like you've struck out there Naomikins! Your luck is out, because that girl only wants to willy-waggle, and you don't have the credentials!"

I scowled at him.

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks."

"Huh?"


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:Thanks once again for all the reviews. I am grateful for them all, whether you comment each chapter, or just now and again. I got more reviews than ever for that last chapter! Just goes to show what some snogging will get you. Wait, that didn't come out right! *blushes* Gah, you know what I mean. There were some mixed feelings about Emily's 'straight speech', which didn't surprise me. I know it was a little cheesy, but it was fun to write, so expect more cheese in the chapters to come!**

**I surprised myself how soon I got this one written, considering the quite spectacular ADD meltdown that I had on Friday. There's a lot more to ADD than just a lack of attention. In fact, there is a line in this chapter about wanting to rip your brain out. It's a sentiment I'm sure most people can relate to, but if you have ADD, that's how you feel most of the time.**

**Anyway, look at me rambling on again. Just one more thing before I let you go: This chapter does contain a scene of an 'adult nature' - but not the one you want! It's not too explicit, but it did feel necessary to me. If you really don't want to read it, skim down until the first line break, and you should be fine from there.**

**Enjoy!**

**Myrtle.**

* * *

Chapter Ten

Emily

Fuck, fuck FUCK! She kissed me! Naomi kissed me. I kissed her back! Shit, did I? No. Maybe. Shit. That wasn't supposed to happen. Sure, I liked her. Okay, I admit it, I'm fucking attracted to her! But that's it. I didn't want anything to happen with her. It's Gary that I lo... that I cared about.

So, I ran. Really mature, right? I ran right out of the gym, and away from Naomi. I just didn't want to deal with any of this. I didn't even know where I was running to. I hardly even cared that it was lunchtime, and I was supposed to be working all afternoon. Yes I, Emily Fitch, the good twin, was playing hookie. I was pulling a sickie. I was skiving off. Work could just go fuck itself for the afternoon.

When I stopped running, I realised I was at the bus stop. A familiar bus pulled up, and from habit I climbed aboard. I found a seat, sank down into it and pulled out my phone. I dashed off a quick text to Katie asking her to cover for my absence. Then I switched my phone off. I didn't want her ringing me to find out what was going on. I couldn't speak to Katie right now.

My head was swimming with emotions. I couldn't focus on any single thought. Over and over again, my mind re-lived the moment of Naomi moving closer to me. Her lips connecting with mine. The feel of her tongue against my own. I scrunched my eyes tight shut and shook my head in the hope of ridding myself of the images. A big knotted ball of frustrated emotion was burning in the pit of my stomach. I needed to feel something. Anything that could make this stop.

I opened my eyes and glanced around me. The bus was trundling along a street that I recognised well enough. Again on auto-pilot, I rose from my seat and pressed the bell. As I climbed from the bus, I turned my steps to a door that I had walked to many times.

As I rang the doorbell, it occurred to me for the first time that I should have rang first. What if Gary wasn't home? I didn't usually turn up unannounced. Least of all during the day when I was meant to be at work. But this hadn't exactly been a fully formed plan. I didn't remember making a decision to go there, I just got on a bus.

The door eventually opened to reveal a rather startled looking Gary. I didn't give him a chance to say anything, I just stepped closer and pressed my lips to his. He responded to the kiss, but didn't wrap his arms around me like he usually would. As I pulled back from him, I took in his appearance. He was wearing an old, paint-splattered t-shirt, and his hands were also covered in paint. I guess that explains why he didn't wrap his arms around me.

"Sorry, babe. Are you working?"

He stepped back from the doorway to let me in to the house. As I walked along the corridor, he finally found his voice.

"Yeah. Emily, what are you doing here? I thought you were at work today?"

I took a deep breath, and forced all thoughts of Naomi from my mind.

"I took the afternoon off - I wanted to see you. I hope that's okay?" The smile he gave me in return was so full of warmth, that for a moment I felt a pang of guilt. I suppressed it though - I _was_ there to see him. This wasn't about Naomi, it was about me and Gary.

As Gary went to wash his hands, I looked at what he had been working on. He had a large canvas stood on an easel in the sitting room. Since his room-mates had all left at the end of term, Gary had the whole house to himself. His landlord had let him stay on over the summer. He took full advantage of the space by using the living room to paint in. His latest creation was in the early stages, and didn't look anything more than a few swirls of paint yet.

Gary walked back into the room, and I walked towards him to get a proper greeting.

"Wait, this is covered in paint" he said, motioning to his t-shirt. He stripped it off, and dropped it onto the dust-sheets covering the floor. My eyes skimmed over his naked torso, and the need to feel something took a hold of me once more. I reached up to cup his face, and pulled him down into a passionate kiss. My tongue darted immediately to meet his. His hands reached to my hips, pulling me closer.

If my kiss didn't alert him to my intentions, my hands reaching straight for the button on his jeans did. His hands slid from my hips, up over my breasts until they landed on the buttons of my blouse. With deft movements, he loosened each button, and dropped the garment to the floor. My bra quickly followed it. Our kisses were frantic, animalistic even. I didn't want us to take our time. I wanted it quick, and hard, and right now.

I pushed him back onto the sofa, before quickly pulling off the remainder of his clothes. I stepped out of my shoes, and I felt Gary's hands slide up my thighs, hitching my skirt up. He slid my knickers off, and I climbed onto the sofa, straddling him. He wrapped his arms around my waist, and I slid myself down onto him.

* * *

The TV was on, but I wasn't watching it. I lay on the sofa, my legs stretched across Gary's lap. We had most of our clothes back on, and were lounging around together in a comfortable silence. At least, that's probably how it would have seemed. In reality, I was feeling anything but comfortable. My mind was racing faster and faster, until I just wished I could wrench my brain from my head and live without it for a night.

We had both come at the same time. We usually did. I loved my sex-life with Gary. I could hardly be gay, if he made me feel like that, could I? So why could I not relax? Why did my stomach still feel like a boy scout had used it for practicing his knots?

The rest of the afternoon passed in a daze for me. We lazed about, not doing very much at all. As the evening approached, we ordered pizzas and had them with a couple of cans each. We cuddled up together on the sofa and watched a film. For a while at least, I was able to push my raging emotions to the back of my mind.

As evening turned into night time, it was a different story. We climbed into Gary's bed together.

"Night Em. I love you." He said as he switched the light off. I gave him a kiss, but didn't answer him. I just lay there, blinking into the darkness. Once in the silence, there was no more escape. Everything I had been trying to suppress came at me in formation attack.

The first thought to hit me was why couldn't I say 'I love you' back to Gary? I always thought that love took time, but shouldn't I know by now? We had been together for a while, and had known each other for even longer. So why had I never said those three small words to him?

The next thought to strike was my kiss with Naomi. She may have been the one to make a move, but I had let her. Not only that, but I had been the one to deepen the kiss. I had not only _let _her kiss me, I had _wanted_ her to. There it was. The thought hit me like a bolt of lightning. I had _wanted_ Naomi to kiss me. There was no escaping from that. She made me feel things that I had never felt before, and I liked it.

I was bored. I had known it for some time, but I thought it was just working at the gym. In reality, a part of me had always known deep down that it wasn't just that. I wasn't just feeling stifled and trapped by mum and dad's intentions for my career. I was bored with Gary. The realisation stung me, but once my brain had voiced it, there could be no denial. Our relationship was not what I wanted. _He_ was not what I wanted. I know that life is not always burning passion and strong emotions, but I'm only twenty one. If you don't have burning passion in a relationship at that age, surely it will never be there?

Again, my kiss with Naomi returned to my mind. I thought about how I felt when I realised she was going to kiss me. Nervous, definitely. But also, there was a tingly anticipation for it. And as for the kiss itself - it was fantastic. For a brief moment I had felt a passion that had long since been locked away, bubbling to the surface. That was until my doubts had smacked me full force in the stomach, making me babble some rubbish about how I liked men.

That reflection led me to the next onslaught. Was it rubbish? Had I even believed the words as they spilled from my mouth? The answer to that wasn't so readily available. Would any girl that was 100% straight, really say all of that? My actions too, were hardly that of someone who knew they were straight. I had after all, let Naomi kiss me. Then I had ran straight to Gary, to prove to myself that he was what I wanted.

I had used him. Not a pleasant conviction to have, but it was true. I had told myself that this afternoon had been all about me and Gary, but it was a lie. If I really didn't want Naomi, why had I gone to such lengths to prove that to myself?

These were the things marching backwards and forwards through my brain all night like some sort of demented thought parade. My body felt so weary and in need of sleep, but my head would not let me have the relief of unconsciousness. Eventually, somewhere around four in the morning, I drifted into a fitful sleep.

* * *

I awoke early, thanks to the alarm. I hauled myself out of bed and into the shower. As the water cascaded over me, I thought back over everything that had gone through my mind the night before. I still felt so unsure of myself, but some realisations were unavoidable. I still didn't know what I wanted, but I knew very clearly what I didn't want. My kiss with Naomi had acted like a catalyst to the doubts that I had tried so hard to suppress. It was time now for a little bit of bravery.

After my shower, I got dried as quickly as I could. I got dressed into some clean clothes that I had left there. I had a look around, gathering anything else that I had left at Gary's over the months. There was no need to drag this out. I strode into the kitchen, where Gary was bustling about, making coffee. He glanced over his shoulder and gave me a smile that I couldn't return.

"Gary, we need to talk."

* * *

As I stepped onto the bus that was taking me away from Gary's place for the last time, I realised that my hands were shaking. I had never dumped anyone before. Gary had not taken our break-up well. I think he really was in love with me, which only made me feel worse. I knew it was the right thing to do though. I had no idea what was going to happen with Naomi. I wasn't even sure what I wanted to happen with her, but I knew that I wasn't in love with Gary.

It was when I left the bus and started walking towards the gym that the sucker punch of emotions hit me. By the time I reached reception, I felt tears welling up in my eyes. By the time I reached the office, they were starting to fall. I was glad to see that Katie was the only one in there.

"Emsy, what's wrong?" She was straight to my side, her voice full of concern. I didn't know what to say. I didn't even fully understand what was wrong.

"I broke up with Gary." It was the simplest place to start. I had no intention of revealing my confusion over Naomi to her. I had no idea what her reaction would be, but I knew it wouldn't be anything favourable towards Naomi.

"Come here." She pulled me into a hug. I was grateful to her. I didn't think Katie really knew what to say to me, but the hug let me know that she was there for me.

We sat down side by side on the sofa, and I explained to her what had happened with Gary. At least, I gave her an edited version. I told her that I had come to realise that it wasn't love with him. She looked at me, her eyes brimming with questions, but she kept them to herself. I'm pretty sure that in my fragile state, she didn't want to push me for details. I was also certain that the questions were bound to follow, later.

The time quickly rolled on, and Katie had to leave to cover reception.

"Listen, I'll try to get someone to cover for me, and I'll come back up in a bit, yeah?"

"You don't have to worry about me, okay? I'll be fine, I just need a few minutes to pull myself together, that's all."

Katie studied my face, trying to decide if I was okay to be left alone. She must have concluded that I was, because she nodded and left the room. I stood up from the sofa, and perched on the edge of the desk. I resolved to myself that I would try to spend as much of the day not thinking about Naomi as I possibly could.

I had been sat there for a few minutes, when the door to the office flew open and shattered my resolve completely. There in front of me, her eyes full of feeling, was Naomi.

* * *

**A/N: Just a cameo in that chapter from Naomi, but the next one will pick up at this same scene. I hope Emily's decision didn't appear to be too quick, but as she herself said, Naomi is acting as a catalyst to what she already knows. Besides, I think it's my writing style to just rattle through things. I can't seem to write any other way, so I offer no apologies for that!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thanks once again for all of the lovely reviews. They really do make me smile!**

**It seems as if everyone is looking forward to Panda's wedding. Not a surprise, really. We all know what weddings are good for, right? On that score, my story will be as predictable as ever! Anyone complaining? Thought not.**

**Okay, I'll leave you to it. I'm going to watch the football.**

**Enjoy, Myrtle.**

* * *

Chapter Eleven

Naomi

My resolve to give Emily some space had not lasted long. Within half an hour of her leaving the gym I was ringing her, desperate to know that she wasn't in the middle of a full scale freak out. There was no answer. I tried ringing her again and again throughout the afternoon and evening, leaving her several messages, but never getting through to speak to her. I even tried driving to the lake to see if she was there, but there was no sign of her. I knew it was unlikely. It was somewhere that she knew I could find her.

After a sleepless night thinking about her, I went to the gym as soon as it opened the next day. I was fully expecting to find that she had rang in sick. That would be a problem. Her home was the one place I couldn't follow her to in case Jenna or Rob were there. The last time I was there I had been able to check with Emily first that no-one else was home.

As I walked into the gym, I saw Katie at the reception desk. It must have been Cook's day off. Katie looked worried. She was deep in conversation with Panda. As I moved closer, Katie glanced up at me. A frown crossed her face. Usually Katie was very friendly to me, but occasionally her mask slipped and I saw that she really didn't trust me. This was one such time.

"Is Emily here?"

Katie frowned again, and looked at me with distrust. I wondered if she knew what had happened between me and Emily yesterday. It seemed unlikely, but I didn't know how much the twins shared with each other.

"Emily's upset." She practically spat at me. "She's just broke up with Gary."

I was stunned, to say the least. Whatever I had expected from Emily, it wasn't that. I was just intending to have some fun with her - I didn't expect her to break up with Gary over it. Had she really broken up with him because of one kiss with me? I had to see her. I glanced at Katie, who had returned to her hushed conversation with Panda. I hurried into the gym and up the stairs to the office.

I threw open the door, and my eyes locked with Emily's straight away. She was perched on one side of the desk, facing towards me. She looked shocked to see me, and for a moment we just stared at each other. I could see she had been crying, but she looked relatively calm now. I felt an overwhelming urge to pull her into my arms and tell her that everything was okay. I quickly crossed the room to reach her.

As I spread my arms, she held her own out to stop me.

"Don't, Naomi." Her voice had a note of panic to it. She stepped away from the desk, turning away from me to face the window.

"Emily." I said it softly, almost pleadingly. I moved towards her again until I was stood behind her. This time, she didn't stop me as I wrapped an arm around in front of her, across her shoulders. My other hand was on her hip, pulling her body back into mine. I pressed my lips to her temple.

"It's okay" I whispered into her hair. I kissed her temple again, and I felt her body relax a little in my arms. I was no longer thinking about what I was doing. My movements, usually so studied and calculated around Emily, were happening of their own accord. I lowered my head a little, pressing my lips to her ear. Then I moved lower again, kissing her jaw.

As soon as my lips touched her jaw, I felt Emily stiffen as she took in what I was doing. I paused, barely daring to breath. When I realised she wasn't going to move away from me, I started again. I kissed her jaw, before kissing my way slowly down her neck. As I reached her pulse point, Emily's head tipped back against my shoulder, allowing me better access. I sucked on it gently, and heard a low moan escape from her.

She slowly turned around in my arms to face me. For a moment, I thought she was about to push me away from her. I silently pleaded with her not to run from this, not to run from _me_. But as soon as her eyes locked onto mine, I knew that she had no intention of running. They held more warmth than I had ever seen in them. She smiled gently, before moving forward and pressing her lips to mine. My hand lifted up to cup her cheek, and I felt her arms slide around my waist, pulling me into her.

I realised that this was a moment that I had been waiting for. Emily kissing me. She was here, in my arms, and _she_ was kissing _me_. I don't know which of us deepened the kiss, but it happened so naturally.

The sound of heels hurrying along the corridor outside brought us back to the present. Emily leapt away from me, just as the door to the office burst open. A panting Katie was on the other side. She must have ran straight here when she realised where I had gone. I was surprised she didn't bring a bucket of cold water with her.

"Katie, what the fuck?" Emily did well to sound more annoyed than flustered. Katie glared at the two of us, desperately trying to determine from our faces what was going on. She breathed deeply, trying to catch her breath.

"Nothing! I told you I would check back on you." Her attempt to sound nonchalant was destroyed by the fact that she looked like she had taken the stairs two at a time to get here. Emily rolled her eyes at her sister.

"I told you, I'm fine! I was _trying_ to talk to Naomi. Alone." A silent staring match ensued between the sisters. Eventually, Katie must have concluded that she couldn't provide an excuse to stay.

"Fine! I'll go. I'm just downstairs though, yeah?" She threw a final scowl in my direction, before turning and leaving slightly more elegantly than she had arrived. Emily walked over to the door and slammed it shut behind Katie's retreating figure.

"God! I don't know what the fuck she expected us to be doing!" She fumed for a second, before catching my eye. At that moment, she remembered what Katie nearly _had _walked in on. We both laughed awkwardly at the realisation.

As the laughter faded, Emily sighed and slumped down onto the sofa. I sat down next to her. There was a tension in the air, and I wasn't sure how to break it.

"I broke up with Gary." She said it brazenly, with no preamble.

"Yeah, Katie told me." I tried to catch her eyes, but she was looking steadfastly at her hands in her lap. "Was that because of..."

"I don't know" she answered quickly. "I just realised I'm not in love with him." She shrugged her shoulders and looked very forlorn. She rubbed the backs of her hands over her eyes. "Everything's really confusing right now. I need some space." At last she raised her eyes to meet mine, but I didn't like what I saw there. "Can you give me some space? Please?"

Shit, why did she ask me that? That's the one thing I didn't want to give her. I sighed and considered what I could say to her. What else was there to say? If space was what she needed, I didn't really have a choice. I nodded, and she gave me a smile full of gratitude. I raised my hand to her face and stroked her cheek gently. I pressed my lips to her other cheek, and heard her sigh.

"You know where I am, Emily. Call me." I stood up, and headed towards the door.

"I will" she promised. "I just need some time..."

I turned back to give her one last smile, before walking out of the door. I walked out of reception without a word to Katie, who was now back behind the desk. I waited until I was out in the car park before letting a long sigh escape. This was a blow to my plans, but mostly I just hated not knowing when I could see Emily again.

* * *

Cook's laugh boomed out across the near empty pub.

"So let me get this straight. She told you to stay away from her?" More laughter. I scowled at him. Cook pointed at me. "You've fucked up there, Naomikins!"

"Fuck off. That's not what she said. She asked me to give her some space, that's all." Cook laughed again. I hid my annoyance by swigging some more of my pint.

We were sat in Keith's pub with every intention of getting hammered. I had rang Cook earlier on and told him that I wanted to get pissed. It was about midday, and we had already made a good start towards that goal.

"She broke up with Gary" I told him, aware of how small my voice sounded. Cook frowned at me.

"Did she?" I nodded. "Well, that's something, isn't it?"

I shrugged. Was it? I wasn't sure what I was doing with Emily anymore. This had all started out as a harmless bit of fun, but what if she thought there was more to it? Cook seemed to guess what I was thinking.

"Do you think... I dunno. Maybe we shouldn't be doing this?" He sounded hesitant. I didn't like this. I didn't like doubting myself like this. Emily had thrown me a curve ball by ending it with Gary. I really thought that she would just have her fun too, then go back to him. I shook my head, shaking my doubts away. She could still do that anyway, right? Or who knows, she could end up with someone better than him.

"We're not doing anything wrong, Cook. We're just having some fun, same as we always do." It was true. Cook and I splashed about a bit. It wasn't our fault if other people got wet.

"And the second part of the plan?" Cook raised his eyebrows at me as he spoke. There, I faltered. The second part of the plan. It had only really been a vague idea at best. We hadn't even discussed how it was going to work. The idea was that once I had worked my charms on Emily, Cook would lure Jenna to the gym with a fake story. She would walk in and catch me satisfying her youngest daughter in a way that the Daily Mail would find most unappealing.

I closed my eyes, but didn't answer him. I hadn't even been thinking about that part of the plan. In truth, I was no longer so enamoured with that bit. From the beginning, it was the reason why I had singled out Emily. The idea of confronting Jenna with everything she detested about me, present in her own daughter, was too delicious to pass by. But that was before I had got to know Emily. As I thought about it now, suddenly that part of the plan seemed a little cruel. Okay, okay! Maybe more than a _little_ cruel. I decided not to think about it anymore. I downed my pint, and slammed the empty glass down on the table.

"More drinks, I think. Cook, let's go into town tonight. I want to get fucked up, then fucked. In that order."

* * *

I woke up to hear a familiar jingle. I lifted my head gingerly from my pillow. Shit, not quite gingerly enough. I had the mother of all hangovers. My head felt like there was a tramp living in it. Come to think of it, my breath probably smelt like it, too. I sighed gently, and vowed to myself that I was never going to drink again. I made the same promise to myself at least five or six times a month. Even in my most delicate state, I knew it was only a casual threat at best.

As the jingle started up again, I recognised the sound as my mobile phone. Who the fuck would be stupid enough to ring me at the ungodly hour of...wait, what was the time? I glanced at the alarm clock by my bed. Oh, it was half past eleven in the morning. But still, who's together by then?

I slid myself onto my stomach, and crawled, still under the duvet to the foot of the bed. My phone was usually to be found there, alongside my shoes and other discarded items, after a night out. I found it, and peered at the display. A name was flashing up but in my current state, it could have been anything. I blinked a few times, trying to remember how to read. Gradually, the name came into focus. It was Emily. I answered the call.

"Hello?" God I sounded croaky. Did I accidentally swap vocal chords with Dot Cotton?

"Hi."

A pause. A very long pause.

"I thought you didn't want to talk to me for a while?" Not that she's talking to me very much, right now.

"Yeah, I know." I could hear the hesitation in her voice. I waited. She had obviously rang me for a reason.

"Look, I like spending time with you. It doesn't make sense to not be around you."

"Okay." It was the best response I was capable of, but I was grinning like an idiot. She must have picked up on the happiness in my one word answer, because she continued.

"Look, it's Panda's wedding this weekend. I was supposed to be going with Gary, but I can hardly do that now."

Hangover or not, I knew straight away what Emily was getting at.

"Okay?" I said again, trying to prompt her.

"I've got a room booked at the hotel. I thought... I mean, we're friends, so we could go together - as friends. We could stay over, you know... just as friends?" She rattled through it quickly, like she was in danger of losing her nerve.

"Okay." Shit, was that the only word I could manage? Emily giggled at my lack of vocabulary. "I mean, yes - that sounds great. I'll be your date... as a friend." I smiled to myself as I said the last word. It didn't escape my notice that Emily had said the word 'friends' three times in her little speech. I wondered if she had been practising to herself what she was going to say before she rang.

"Great!" She sounded really pleased. "Listen, I've got to go now. I'll ring you later to fix it up, okay? Bye."

"Bye Emily." I dropped the phone back onto the floor, and slithered backwards until I was fully under the duvet again. I grinned ridiculously to myself as I thought about the weekend to come. Plenty of drinking, dancing, and a whole night alone with Emily in a posh hotel room. I was looking forward to Panda's nuptials with much more enthusiasm than before.

I contemplated getting up. If nothing else, I had to try and do something about my hangover. Cook and I had certainly got fucked up last night. I can't even remember how much stuff we took. As for the getting fucked though, my cup was empty. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure I could have got laid if I'd tried to. (I'm nothing if not self-confident, right?) But I had looked around the night club with fresh eyes, last night. There just wasn't anyone that I was even vaguely interested in. Since meeting Emily, no other girl could even come close to catching my interest. The thought concerned me slightly. It seemed I was becoming quite obsessed with the little red head. It's just the thrill of the chase, that's all. It's the anticipation of finally getting her into bed. The sooner I do that, the sooner I can move on and forget all about Fitch bloody Fitness.

* * *

**Posh frocks on for the next chapter, girls. It's time for a wedding.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Ah, love is all around. And that's just the reviews! Thanks so much once again. I don't always get around to replying to each one individually, but I do appreciate them all.**

**Unlike Naomi, I love a nice wedding. But then I should do - since I'm married. In fact, it is my wedding anniversary tomorrow! Anyway, enough about me, it's Panda and Thomas's wedding. The temptation with Panda's wedding is to go really over the top for the lols, but I've never seen Panda as just a comedy character, so I tried to just make it individual, instead. Thanks to wristducky for the cake suggestion! Oh, and there was a typo on the invite: it said 'posh frocks', when it should have said 'posh frocks, or trouser suits, or whatever the hell you want to wear' ;)**

**Enjoy. Oh, and there's no smut here I'm afraid - next chapter for certain.**

**Myrtle**

* * *

Chapter Twelve

Emily

Okay, so I crumbled and rang Naomi. By my reckoning, I lasted about 26 hours without talking to her. I can't think straight - no pun intended - when I'm around her, but when she's not there I feel much worse. I really thought that spending some time away from her might help me figure stuff out. But then I realised I could hardly figure out how I feel about her if she's not around. Also, I missed her. Shit, after only one day! God, I'm really pathetic, aren't I? So, I had invited her to go to the wedding with me. Just as friends. We had kissed - twice now, and I had really enjoyed it - but friends was all I wanted for now. Despite the pleasant little flutter in my stomach when she said she would be my 'date'.

I stared forlornly down at the meal in front of me. It was yet another triumphant Fitch Family Dinner. 'Brussels Sprout and Turnip Stew' mum had announced, as she doled out spoonfuls of insipid, khaki coloured slop. Katie, James and I exchanged commiserating glances, before picking up our cutlery and attempting to eat it. As I tasted my first mouthful, I thought of the description that James used to use for mum's cooking when he was younger. There were no other words for it, this really did taste like bollocky wank shite.

Mum and Dad prattled on between them about how things were going with the new gym. Normally, I could make a good display of being interested, but not this time. My head was too full to be able to engage in their mindless patter. I felt somewhat alone, despite being surrounded by people. I glanced around each of my family, wishing I felt able to share what was on my mind with any one of them.

My mother was not the most tolerant woman. Okay, that was putting it mildly. She probably thought that Hitler had the right idea, he just went about it in the wrong way. I remembered a day last summer, when she had come home from the gym full of hell. Her face had been practically purple with rage. It turned out that she had caught a female member of staff having sex with a female member of the gym. It took days before she could even mention the gym without turning a violent shade of crimson. Naturally, James, Katie and I had found it hilarious. Not that we dared laugh in front of mum about it, though! But try as we might, we couldn't get her to divulge any details. She would only mutter that it was 'disgusting behaviour'. In the end, James had told me and Katie that the two girls had been caught in the showers, one of them wearing a gigantic strap-on, and each of them brandishing all manner of sex toys. It sounded suspiciously like the plot of a porno film to me, and I remembered finding a DVD in James' room once, entitled 'Hot Lesbian Showers'. I assumed that was where he was getting his information from.

I was sure that my father was slightly more tolerant than mum, and I may even have been able to talk to him about this. But unfortunately mum's word was law in our house. Dad never voiced an opinion that didn't match hers. Whatever mum said, he just glibly followed along with. It didn't make me very keen to confide in him.

I knew James would happily listen to my concerns, but he would immediately share the details with the whole world. Also, he wouldn't be able to offer any advice. At least, not any sage advice. I was sure he would have plenty of suggestions to make, but they would all be along the lines of 'just fuck her with a giant, luminous dildo and film it all'. Not very helpful.

Katie would normally be the one I would talk to about anything that was bothering me. I was still sure that she wasn't as homophobic as mum and dad, but she had really taken a dislike to Naomi that I didn't fully understand. I knew Katie suspected that there was something going on between us, but I wasn't sure how much she had guessed. Since I split up with Gary she kept telling me that I could talk to her about anything, but so far I hadn't.

"Are you okay, Emsy love?" My dad's concern brought me out of my internal reflection. I glanced up on hearing my name to see four sets of concerned eyes staring at me. Well, make that three sets of concerned eyes. James was looking at me, but it was more with enjoyment at the thought that something might be wrong.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I answered, aware of how pathetic it sounded. I took a deep breath.

"I broke up with Gary." I felt like a cracked record. Maybe I should take out an ad in the paper next time. Still, I knew I had to tell them sooner or later, and it would act as a diversion from what was really going on inside my mind.

"Oh no, what happened? Such a lovely boy, I'm sure you can work it out" said my mother. I knew she would be upset, she had always liked Gary.

"No, mum we can't. It's over."

"What happened?" She asked again.

"I don't want to talk about it." I stared back down at my stew, giving it way more attention than it deserved.

"Well I do. You two were great together."

"She said she doesn't want to talk about it, so just leave it!" Sometimes, Katie just came bowling in with a timely rescue. I flashed her a grateful smile across the table. Her words had worked. Mum didn't ask any further questions, she just sat there grumbling to no-one in particular about what a nice boy Gary was, and how all relationships go through rough patches. I let her drone on, and as soon as I was able to, I escaped to my room to be alone for a while.

* * *

I checked my reflection in the mirror. I had to admit, I was pretty pleased with the results. It was the day of Panda's wedding, and I had splashed out on a new dress for the occasion. It was a rich lilac colour, made of a silky material. It ended at my knees with a slashed hem, and a couple of small straps went over my shoulders. I had applied my make-up, packed an overnight bag, and was all ready. Katie had already left. She had borrowed mum's car, and was picking up Cook on the way. Originally, the plan had been for all of us to travel in the car together. That was when Gary had been included. Now that Naomi was going instead, she had offered to drive me and her there in her car. I could hardly miss out on the chance to arrive in style in her sporty two-seater, could I? Okay, I admit it. The thought of spending the journey just with her instead of being crammed into a Micra with Cook and Katie might have also been a factor.

My phone beeped to show I had a text. It was from Naomi, saying that she was outside. I slipped my heels on, picked up my bag and made my way downstairs. I shouted goodbye to whoever was in the house, grabbed a brolly, and made my way outside. It was typical of the British weather. It was August, I was going to a wedding, so naturally it was pissing down.

I stood under the brolly looking for Naomi. Her text said she was here, but there was no car outside. I heard a car horn somewhere to my right. I glanced around. Why the fuck had she parked right along there, in all this rain? I dashed towards her as fast as my heels would let me. I put my overnight bag in the boot and climbed into the car, shaking my brolly out behind me.

The hotel was not far outside of Bristol. It was only a half hour drive. At least with Naomi's driving it was. Katie left about fifteen minutes before us, but I wouldn't have been surprised if we had got there first. We pulled into the car park in record time. We grabbed our bags from the boot and scurried under the umbrella towards the entrance. It was a lovely, smart hotel that was not so posh that you had to hold your breath for fear of breaking anything. The service, reception and evening do were all happening at the one venue.

As we walked into reception, we saw a lot of wedding guests milling around, waiting for everything to begin. We walked over towards a beaming Thomas.

"More friends! Welcome, I'm so glad to see you." He was grinning so much at both of us. "There are waiters with welcome drinks, help yourself to something."

We chatted with Thomas for a few minutes before going to check in. Then Naomi and I went up to our room to drop our bags off. It was a spacious room, with a small amount of stylish furniture, and two single beds. Yes, I had changed the booking from a double room to a twin room. We were there as friends after all.

As Naomi dropped her bag down, I took the chance to take in her appearance properly. She looked amazing. She had on a beautiful long length dress made of silk. It was dark blue, and really emphasised her eyes. It had thin straps and a scooped neckline, and it skimmed across her curves perfectly. Her hair was curled into loose ringlets. The overall effect was very elegant. She turned towards me and caught me staring.

"Like what you see?" She asked with a cheeky smirk. I blushed straight away. Yes, I did like what I was seeing. I suddenly felt very hot, being alone with Naomi in a bedroom, so I suggested that we go back downstairs to get a drink.

* * *

We were sat in rows of chairs all facing the front of the room, waiting for the ceremony to start. Thomas was stood at the front of the room next to JJ, his best man. The registrar asked everyone to rise. There was a general scraping of chairs as everyone got to their feet. We all craned our necks to the back of the room to see Panda. From unseen speakers, music began. I smiled to myself. It was 'Walking On Sunshine', by Katrina and The Waves. As the first chorus began, Panda appeared, walking beside her mum. The smile on Panda's face was the biggest I've ever seen. As she passed our row, I took in her dress. From the waist down, it was white, and looked like any other meringue-style wedding dress. The top half was made up of all different panels, and each one was a different colour. The effect was actually rather good, although I'm not sure who other than Panda could carry off such a look.

Behind Panda walked Effy and Thomas's sister as bridesmaids. I knew straight away that Effy had got her way with the bridesmaids dresses. This was the first time I had seen a bridesmaid dressed in black. They were both in very elegant evening gowns, without a hint of colour.

The ceremony itself was quite short. Once it was over and Thomas and Panda had signed the register, it was time for the bride and groom to walk back down the isle. Again, music started up. This time it was For 'Once In My Life', by Stevie Wonder. As Thomas and Panda began to dance their way down the isle, the front row of the congregation rose to their feet. Thomas's family turned around and motioned for everyone else to stand up too. They started dancing, and encouraged everyone else to dance as well. Soon, the whole wedding party was on their feet, clapping and dancing along to the music. We danced our way out of the room, and into the grounds of the hotel, where the rain seemed to be holding off for long enough to get the photos taken.

After a seemingly endless combination of photos, it was finally time for the reception. Naomi and I were sat with Katie and Cook. We didn't recognise any of the other people on our table, but after introductions, we discovered they were some of Panda's family. The conversation flowed easily through dinner and with wine in constant supply, the atmosphere in the whole room was very relaxed. There followed speeches, and the cutting of the cake - which was made to look like a huge stack of doughnuts.

Eventually, it was all over, and everyone had to vacate the room so that it could be changed around for the evening do in an hour. Katie, Cook, Naomi and I found some seats together at the bar. We were soon joined by JJ, Effy and Freddie. I felt a little pang of jealousy as I noticed Effy make a bee-line straight for the seat on the other side of Naomi. I also spotted a scowl cross Freddie's face at the sight. As we chatted, every so often Effy would brush her hand seemingly by accident along Naomi's arm. Naomi appeared not to notice, but I felt my insides burn each time it happened.

I was glad when Panda came over to ask Effy to help her with something. Effy left, and Naomi leaned over towards me, placing her hand on my arm.

"Hey, you okay, Em?" Her voice was only loud enough for me to hear. I realised I must have been sat there pretty quietly since Effy arrived.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I didn't think my voice sounded too convincing. Naomi mustn't have either. She leaned closer, until her mouth was very close to me. Her breath tickled my ear.

"You know I'm not interested in Effy, right?"

I nodded, but when I turned and caught her eyes with mine, my breath stopped in my throat. I felt the prickly sensation of a blush creeping over my cheeks. Naomi was smiling at me with so much warmth in her eyes. The meaning of her words was unmistakeable. As I felt my heart rush towards my mouth, I admitted silently to myself something that I had been hiding from. Naomi and I were not just friends. It may be all that we had acknowledged between us so far, but I knew it was only a matter of time until we became something more.

* * *

**Hmm, Emily has finally cottoned on to what we've all known from the start. Now, how long until Naomi figures out that they're more than just a shag?**

**Next chapter will be up whenever I get together the courage to post the smut!**


	13. Chapter 13

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**A/N: Thanks once again for your reviews, but what a dirty lot you are! Practically all of them were just asking for me to post the next chapter! Well, no sex here I'm afraid. Oh, go on then! I'm just kidding with you!**

**So far in this story, we've had two sex scenes and one... er, manual relief scene. None of them have been very explicit, but that changes once we get to Naomily - so don't read it in public. First time writing anything like this, so go easy on me. Oh, and we all know that this has been a story of seduction from the start, right? So I wanted this to reflect that. I hope you all like Naomi being in control. (Just not in a 'the safety word is bananas' way).**

**And with one final check over my shoulder to make sure that my mother has not turned up for a surprise visit...here we go.**

**Enjoy, Myrtle.**

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Chapter Thirteen

Naomi

I had to admit it, I was having fun. Weddings were usually something I avoided at all costs, but this one I was quite enjoying. The fact that it wasn't held in a church was definitely a plus. No endless singing of dreadful hymns for a start. No bollocks about how God will keep these two souls together, either.

There was a generous provision of wine included and when that was gone, we found that the bar prices were almost reasonable. No taking out a mortgage just to get a round of drinks in. Not that I was planning on getting mortal. No, I definitely wanted a clear head when we turned in for the night. And before you even suggest it, I wasn't trying to get Emily drunk, either. When we got together, I wanted her to know that it was what she wanted, too.

The evening do was in full swing. Thomas and Panda had danced their first dance (to 'Groove Is In The Heart' by Dee Lite, of all things). The buffet table had been decimated, and the DJ had turned the music up to ear-bleeding level. As it was Thomas's wedding, he wasn't doing the music. I assumed that the hotel had hired the DJ, as he was playing the sort of stuff that you usually get at these family events. A smattering of The Scissor Sisters and Lady GaGa, to show that he was 'with it', but otherwise a selection of music that had not been updated since Jive Bunny was a leveret.

Emily and I laughed from the safety of our seats as Cook strutted, John Travolta-esque to 'Do Ya Think I'm Sexy'. It was all aimed at Katie, who grinded and strutted alongside him for all she was worth. Across the dance floor, Thomas was struggling to dance with his new bride, who was flaying her arms about all over the place. She moved as if someone had set her on fire. She had been dancing like that for most of the night, not bothering to change her steps as each new tempo began.

With a dramatic sigh designed to draw attention, a rather startled looking blonde woman plopped into the chair next to Emily. I had seen her during the wedding, and had figured out that she must be Panda's mother. She stared wide-eyed at Emily. She looked well on her way to pissed.

"Gosh, Katie! Isn't this lovely!" She murmured in a dreamy voice. Emily didn't correct her. "And what a lovely hotel. It's so clean. Very clean." It seemed like an odd detail to focus on to me, but Emily didn't bat an eyelid. She just nodded, and commented that Panda was enjoying herself.

"Oh, yes. She's having a super time." Mrs Panda started nodding a little too much. I was put in mind of those 'Churchill' nodding dogs. Eventually, she stopped nodding and gave another sigh. "She must be nervous though. I am for her."

I wondered what on earth Panda had to be nervous about. I glanced at Emily, but she just bit her lip to hide a smile, and shook her head at me. Panda's mother continued, unaware.

"Tonight, my little Pandora becomes a woman!"

Now _I_ had to bite my lip. I hardly knew Panda, but I had heard her go on enough times about 'making monkey' and 'surf and turf' to know that she was no virgin. Emily realised that I was struggling to contain my laughter.

"Come on Naoms, let's dance. I'll see you later, Miss Moon." She took my hand and led me willingly onto the dance floor. We joined Katie and Cook, who were busy doing all of the actions to the Grease Mega-Mix.

After plenty of dancing, I excused myself from the others to go get some air. The unconditioned function room was like a furnace. To one side of the room, huge patio doors had been thrown open to let air in. It only worked to a point. The further into the room you got, the hotter the atmosphere became. I stepped outside and breathed a little easier. The rain hadn't returned, and the air smelt fresh. I felt a hand trail softly down my arm, and I turned with a wide smile on my face. It faltered a little, as I saw it was Effy and not Emily who had touched me.

"Hey." She smiled coquettishly at me. "You know, we should pick things up where we left them at your birthday."

I smiled to myself as I remembered the night. Effy must have taken my smile as agreement. "I'm in room 108. I'm going there now." She leaned closer to me, until her mouth was right at my ear. "Don't be long." With that, she walked back inside. I watched her slink across the room, and out of a door at the other side. I sighed to myself. Emily must really be getting to me, because I didn't even consider Effy's offer for a moment, tempting as it was.

"Hey." I jumped, as I heard that same small greeting for the second time in as many minutes. This time it was Emily. She had appeared at my side while I was watching Effy cross the room. I turned towards her, and saw a look of confusion on her face, with maybe a little bit of jealousy mingled in. "What did Effy want?"

I decided that honesty was probably the best policy.

"To give me her room number." I kept my eyes on Emily as I said it, and was rewarded with a frown. "She's only doing it to get at Freddie" I told her. I knew it was true. When you've played enough games with people, you got to recognise the signs when you saw other players. Emily nodded.

"Yeah, she's always holding him at arm's length. If she likes him that much, she should just be with him."

That's how it was to Emily. Things were really just that simple. As I stared at her, I knew then that I would never put the second part of my plan into action. Letting Jenna catch us together like that would probably hurt Emily much more than it would hurt Jenna. I realised I couldn't do that to her.

As I glanced over her shoulder, I saw Freddie sat not too far from us. He was by himself - even JJ had deserted him. He looked rather gloomy, and he scowled at me when he caught my eye. I made a decision and walked over to him. I wasn't sure why I was doing it. Maybe I just felt like being nice.

"Effy's in room 108 - take a bottle of wine up. She'll respect you more if you take control of the situation."

For a moment, he stared at me with mistrust in his eyes. Then, what I was telling him began to sink in. He gave me a small nod, and walked over to the bar. I walked back to Emily, who was grinning at me.

"Do you think she'll let him in?"

"I don't know - maybe. I think she wants him to take the initiative."

"Come here." Emily grabbed my hand and led me back outside. She moved us so that we were just out of sight of the people inside. She turned to face me. The air was chilly, but Emily slid her arms around my waist and pulled me closer to her. It was impossible to feel too cold with Emily holding me so closely. I moved my arms to encircle her, and we both moved our faces closer until our lips met in a soft kiss. Emily deepened it, and I felt a groan escape me as our tongues met.

We kissed like that for a few minutes. Passionate, but unhurried. Eventually, we broke apart. Emily rested her forehead against mine. I could tell she was struggling a little to control her breathing. I was hardly any better. Her kisses left me breathless. She smiled her beautiful, warm smile at me.

"Come on. Let's get back on that dance floor" she muttered, before leading me back inside. I wanted nothing more than to stay in that private little moment, but I let her convey me back to the dance floor.

* * *

We danced quite a lot. At length, we looked around to realise that there was no sign of Katie or Cook. Neither Effy or Freddie had re-emerged, either. Panda and Thomas were slow dancing - yes, it turned out Panda was capable of it - to one side of the dance floor. It wasn't very late. We weren't among the last to leave, but we decided to call it a night. We walked along the corridor to our room with our arms linked together.

As we passed one door, a strange grunting sound echoed out into the corridor. Okay, so we were in a hotel. Maybe it wasn't _that_ strange. You can't help yourself, can you? If you're in a hotel room and you hear people having sex, you have to have a listen, if only for a moment. Emily and I ground to a halt outside the door.

"Sounds like they're having fun" whispered Emily, giggling. As she said that, a voice rang out loudly from the other side of the door.

"Grab my balls! Grab my balls!"

Our laughter reverberated around the otherwise silent corridor. Not keen to be caught spying, we ran off towards our own room. After fiddling with the key card for a moment, we fell into the room and slammed the door shut behind us. We leaned back against the door, giggling at what we had heard. I had been in the vicinity of Cook getting laid often enough to know that it was him in that room. I didn't share that information with Emily though. Instead, I cursed silently to myself. I felt sure it would be Katie in there with him. Which meant that he had won our bet. Of course if things panned out as I was hoping, he had only won it by about ten minutes. He didn't need to know that I'd heard him. I was sure we could declare it a draw.

As our laughter faded, the atmosphere between Emily and I suddenly became tense. I knew what I wanted to happen. I felt sure that Emily wanted it too, since our kiss earlier. But how was she going to react, now that we were alone together? I soon got my answer. She grabbed her overnight bag, and headed for the door to the bathroom.

"I'll get changed in here" she muttered, avoiding my eyes. She disappeared inside, closing the door behind her. So for the moment at least, Emily was going to avoid the tension. I decided to play along with her for now. I stripped off my dress and changed into my pyjamas. I sat down at the foot of one of the beds. I had my back to the bathroom, and I was facing towards the other bed.

After several minutes - more time than it takes to get changed and remove some make-up - Emily finally emerged from the bathroom. I glanced around at her and felt my breath catch in my throat. She was wearing a short, burgundy silk nightie. Was she even pretending any more? Was that really the only night attire that she had to spend the night in a hotel room with a 'friend'? I wasn't complaining, she looked amazing.

Emily dropped her bag to the floor, and moved her hand through her hair in a nervous gesture. As she walked between the two beds, I stretched out my hand to stop her. I rested it lightly on her stomach. She stared down at it, but didn't move. I moved both my hands to her hips, and gently turned her around to face me. I steered her until she was straddling, but not touching one of my thighs. She placed her hands lightly on my shoulders. I traced gentle patterns across her stomach with my thumbs. Emily's eyes locked onto mine and I could see that although she hadn't dared make a move, she wanted this to happen. That was fine with me. I had decided that I was going to take control here. I wanted her to know that this was what she wanted. I was going to take my time, and make her feel every sensation.

I moved my hands to the back of her neck and pulled her face down to meet mine. She met me with a passionate, hungry kiss. As our tongues tasted each other, I moved my right hand down from her neck. I placed it firmly on the inside of her thigh, just above the hem of her nightie. She pulled back from the kiss to gasp. I had her attention now. I moved my left hand back to her hip and with my right hand I made gentle, caressing movements gradually rising higher and higher, taking my time over it. I stopped just before the top of her leg, still moving my hand in soft movements against her inner thigh.

Emily leaned forwards, and caught my lips in another blazing kiss. I raised my thumb, and grazed it gently just once over the crotch of her knickers. I heard her gasp again, and once again she broke our kiss. She tried to control her breathing, which was becoming a little ragged. Her eyes were getting darker, her excitement evident in them. I slid my left hand up her body until it reached her breast. I squeezed it gently, and moved my lips to suck on the pulse point in her neck. My hand that was currently between her legs moved directly this time to it's destination. As I cupped her through her knickers, I could feel already that these simple touches had her really turned on. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back slightly. A single word escaped from her lips.

"Stop." She said it so softly. I knew she didn't mean it, that it was an almost instinctive reaction, but I wanted her to know that she could stop me at any time. The second the word crossed her lips, I removed both hands from her body and placed them in my lap. I moved my lips away from her neck, and gazed up at her. Her eyes snapped open, and she looked at me with a slight frown on her face. I could see she was disappointed that I'd stopped. We stayed like that for a second, just staring at each other. I decided to push her a little bit.

"Pull them down for me" I whispered. Her eyebrows knitted as she wondered what I was referring to. Then realisation dawned. She reached her hands under the hem of her nightie, and slid her knickers down her thighs until they rested against my thigh. It was now my turn to gasp. The sight of her doing that turned me on so much. I felt a flood of heat rush between my legs. I quickly regained my composure. I quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah, you really want me to stop!"

Emily blushed.

"Okay, I don't want you to stop." She smiled at me, and I could see that any internal struggle about this was over. I still didn't move. "I want you to touch me" she added, when she saw I wasn't moving. It was all the invitation I needed.

I moved my right hand back to where it was, sliding it easily through her wet folds. Emily's eyes darkened even more. My other hand went back to massage one of her breasts, while my lips moved to her other breast. I sucked firmly at her nipple, and felt it stand to attention through the silky material. I felt an overwhelming urge to see more of her. I slid my hand from her breast to the strap of her nightie. Realising what I wanted, Emily reached up and slid both straps from her shoulders. I watched as she eased the material down her body, letting it pool around her hips. The sight of Emily naked from the waist up was breathtaking. Her breasts may only be small but they were perfectly formed. I moved my mouth back towards them. As I sucked and teased each nipple in turn, I placed one hand to the small of her back, pulling her into me. With my other hand I slipped a finger slowly inside her.

Emily gave out a low moan as she felt me enter her. Her breath was coming in ragged bursts now. My slow ministrations were working her up into quite a frenzy. Her hands tangled in my hair, and she pulled my face towards hers for another burning kiss. As a solitary finger moved teasingly slowly in and out of her, Her kisses became more and more passionate. I knew she was about ready to burst. I moved both hands away from her body. She groaned as she felt the contact stop, but I had no intention of making her wait any longer. I slid from the bed, and steered her by the hips until she was sat where I had been. I kissed her deeply again, before kneeling down in front of her. As I slid her knickers the rest of the way off, Emily removed her nightie, lifting it over her head. As she spread her legs for me, I took a moment to breath in the most wonderful sight of a naked Emily, open and waiting for me.

"God, Emily. You're so beautiful."

She may have blushed, but it was difficult to tell as her skin was already so flushed by now. I slid two fingers easily inside of her, eliciting another moan. I kissed my way along her thigh, before adding my tongue to the task. I licked and sucked at her clit while my fingers pumped in and out of her, gaining momentum. She leaned back across the bed on her elbows, tilting her head back. My other hand held her hips as they started to buck up towards me.

"Fuck, Nai, I'm gonna..."

I curled my fingers, and she crashed spectacularly over the edge.

"Oh fuck!" A further string of expletives followed from her, but I didn't let up. I didn't stop until I felt her shudder through her second orgasm. Then I slowed my pace, until I had brought her back down.

Emily gasped for breath, before opening her eyes. She sat up and gave me a rather nervous little smile.

"Naomi, that was...fuck, I..." She shrugged as her sentence trailed away. I stood up, then leaned over her for another kiss. Her tongue darted immediately towards mine, and it felt as if she was putting everything that she couldn't say into the kiss. I broke away from her, and turned towards the other bed. As turned on as I was right then, I didn't want her to feel under any pressure to reciprocate. I stopped dead in my tracks as I felt her fingers close around my wrist. As I turned back to face her, I could see that she had no intention of going to sleep just yet.

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**Yes, more to come in the next chapter. Or should I say Naomi to come... Unless you all tell me that this was shite. **


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Wow, thanks so much for all the reviews for the last chapter. Judging by them, I was responsible for one or two cold showers, so I do apologise! I also apologise for the delay in getting this one updated. Feel free to re-read the last chapter, if you feel it is absolutely necessary ;) **

**To those of you that really liked that chapter, I have to admit that I've had that particular scene in my mind for quite some time. Yes, that really is what goes on in my head sometimes. Hey, I never said ADD was all bad! Anyway, my point is that I'm not sure if any other sex scenes that I write will have quite the same impact. That said, it's my job just to write them, er the _story_ that is - it's your job to comment on them!**

**We pick up here where the last chapter left off - with Naomi wetter than a haddock's bathing costume. The rest of the chapter is just some fun finding out how the rest of the gang spent their night. There is a game of 'spot the Buffy quote', for those who like that kind of thing, and just a little one from Friends as well.**

**Enjoy! Myrtle.**

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Chapter Fourteen

Emily

Wow. That's such a small word, isn't it? But it was the only one I could think of right then that could sum up how I was feeling. Naomi had brought me shuddering and gasping to new heights of ecstasy. I didn't normally swear like that when I came, but somehow I didn't feel in control of my vocal chords anymore. She was amazing. She made me _feel_ amazing. And then with a little, innocent looking smile she had turned away from me. I could see that she wasn't asking for anything in return, but I wanted to make her feel... well, if I could make her feel a fraction of what she made me feel, then I would consider that pretty good going.

I stood up and pulled her face towards me for another passionate kiss. I could taste myself on her tongue, as it moved against mine. Her hands slid to my bum, pulling me into her. It made me realise how unbalanced our states of dress were. Her pyjamas were still in place. I decided to fix that. I broke the kiss and pulled at the hem of her vest top. It hit the floor in another second. With my hands on her hips, I guided Naomi until her legs hit the bed that I was just on. As she leaned back onto it, I pulled her pyjama bottoms off. I took a second to look down at her naked body. She looked absolutely perfect. I was way past any kind of denial about this - I was so fucking attracted to her.

As I looked down at her waiting for me, I suddenly felt unsure of myself. I had moved so certainly to strip her, but that confidence seemed to trickle away. I wasn't sure about going down on her, like she had done for me. Naomi seemed to sense my hesitancy. She crawled backwards up the bed until her head rested on the pillow. She held her arms open to me, and I crawled onto the bed into her embrace.

"You don't have to do anything you're not ready for" she told me, as she traced her fingers gently over my arm.

"I want to, I just..."

Naomi silenced me with a kiss. I felt myself relax a little as the kiss deepened.

"Just touch me" she murmured against my lips, before moving back into the kiss. She took my hand in hers and gently guided it down to where she wanted it. As my fingers slid between her legs, I gasped.

"Naoms, you're so wet!" I couldn't believe how turned on she felt.

"Yeah." She looked at me like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Emily, don't you know how fucking sexy you are?" I shrugged, not sure how else to react to the compliment. Did I really do this to her? She laughed, lightly. "Fuck, Emily. You have no idea what you do to me." I was beginning to get the idea, as I slid my hand slowly through her wet folds. She pressed her body back against the bed, breathing a little heavier. I lay half of my body on top of her, the other half on the bed. I kissed my way up her neck towards her jaw, as my fingers slid against her clit.

I moved like that for a little while, before her hand reached down to press against mine. She needed more from me. Hesitantly, I slipped a finger inside her. Naomi moaned in pleasure, so I added a second finger. I began to build up momentum. Her arms were around me, and I felt her fingernails dig into my back. I found myself enjoying the effect I was having on her. As she writhed beneath me, I moved my kisses down towards her breasts. I licked and sucked on each one in turn, feeling her nipples harden against my tongue. My fingers pumped in and out of her, moving more by instinct now, finding the right pace. As Naomi's head tipped back I knew she was close. I moved my fingers faster, rubbing my thumb against her clit as I did so.

I watched her in awe as she reached her orgasm. She grabbed at the bed sheets beneath her, and gasped out my name. It felt so amazing to know that I had done that to her. That I had made her come undone like that.

We lay together like that for a few moments. Our arms wrapped around each other's sweaty bodies, Naomi gasping to control her breathing. As her panting began to recede, she smiled at me before leaning closer to kiss me. Our tongues met, and I put all the passion that I felt for her into that kiss. Despite having two orgasms of my own in quick succession just a short while ago, I felt a burning between my legs. Touching Naomi had turned me on as much as her touching me had. She must have sensed what I was feeling, because as we kissed she moved our bodies over on the bed until she was lying on top of me. One of her hands slid down my side, before coming to rest between my legs. She broke our kiss to grin devilishly down at me, as I felt two fingers push easily inside of me.

"I'm not done with you yet" she said with a wink.

* * *

I woke up to find myself alone in the bed. After Naomi had ensured that I saw stars again, we had drifted off to sleep, our limbs wrapped around each other. I sat up and glanced around the room. A tangle of blonde hair lay against the pillow in the other bed. Naomi must have moved over there during the night. They were small beds. Naomi's bed at home was a double, so she must find these single ones pretty small for one, never mind for two.

I glanced at the clock - it was not quite seven yet. I knew there was no point trying to get more sleep. I slipped out of bed, threw some clothes on and crept out of the room. I wasn't leaving, I reasoned with myself. I would see Naomi soon enough, I just needed some space to get my head around last night's events.

I walked into the dining room, where the staff were setting up for breakfast. There was a door at the far side of the room that led directly outside. I headed through it and breathed in lungfuls of fresh air. Despite it being early, I could tell already that it was going to be a beautiful day. I found a little bench that looked out over the grounds and sat down, enjoying the silence.

A short while later, I heard footsteps approaching. I turned to see Katie walking towards me. For some reason, Katie and I always seemed to wake early the day after a drinking session. Not that we had been particularly drunk last night. We had both paced ourselves quite well, but then we had started drinking at lunchtime. Katie dropped down on the bench next to me.

"Hey Em. You okay?"

I nodded, not ready to say anything yet. I stared out over the hotel grounds, wondering how much of last night I was going to tell Katie about. I could feel her eyes watching me carefully.

"Are you thinking about Gary?"

"Who? Oh." Right, my ex Gary. In all honesty, it was the first time I'd thought about him all weekend. I shook my head. I heard Katie take a deep breath beside me.

"So... you're thinking about Naomi" she said gently. My eyes snapped instantly to meet Katie's. I studied her face, trying to figure out what was on her mind. It gave nothing away. I let out a low sigh, then nodded slowly.

"Did you fuck her?" Her voice held no accusation, just interest. I always told Katie everything and this didn't seem like the time to change that.

"Yes." I gazed out ahead of me again, avoiding her eyes. Silence hung in the air between us. I waited on tenterhooks to see what Katie's reaction was going to be.

"And?" She asked eventually. I stared open mouthed at her. "Not details!" She added, hastily. "I don't need a diagram, but maybe a blurry watercolour?" I chuckled, feeling the tension slip away.

"It was..." I paused, struggling to find words that could do justice to everything I was feeling. "...amazing." I settled on at last. Not nearly adequate enough, but it would have to do. A huge grin spread unchecked across my face, as I thought again about my night with Naomi. Katie grinned slyly back at me.

"Seems like you had a good night then."

I nodded. For a moment I found myself comparing it to my last time with Gary. The two events could hardly have been more different. The last time I was with Gary, I had known exactly what I wanted and had taken control. With Naomi, I had completely surrendered any control over to her. The result had been exhilarating, to say the least.

"I fucked Cook." Katie's sudden statement brought me out of my reverie.

"And? I mean, not details..."

Katie laughed. This felt good. Katie and I were always like this, sharing information about our love lives with each other. I was happy to discover that me being with a woman hadn't changed that.

"It was..." She sucked in her breath through her teeth as she decided on her words. "Bumpy" she said at last.

"Bumpy?"

Of all the words she could have chosen, 'bumpy' was the first to spring to mind?

"He's very...vigorous" she elaborated. "Don't get me wrong - he got me - but I think it was more by luck than design."

I laughed at her description of Cook's technique. Somehow, it fit in with my opinion of what he would be like. I hadn't given it much thought, but I assumed he would be the type to dive right in full of enthusiasm, like a puppy that had missed it's owner's leg.

"Well, Naomi certainly knows what she's doing." I paused, watching Katie wrinkle her nose, ready to stop me in case I was going to over-share with her. She needn't have worried about that, but I did have one thing that I wanted her to understand. "I think I'm really falling for her, Katie" I said, softly. I glanced across, and saw her frown.

"Just be careful, Em. I don't think she's really looking for that." She placed her hand on mine and gave it a little squeeze. "I don't want you to get hurt."

I nodded, not sure what else to say. How on earth was I supposed to stop myself? I had only known Naomi for a short time, but I already felt so much for her. I had known from the start that she wasn't the type to look for a relationship, but her actions to me said otherwise. Whenever we were together, she made me feel like I was the only person in the world that mattered. Surely she felt this amazing connection between us too?

Katie and I sat in comfortable silence. After a while, I looked up to see Naomi step out into the grounds. I felt a surge of emotion in my chest. She was dressed casually, in a skirt and top and she looked a little hungover, but she still looked so beautiful in the morning sunlight. She glanced around before seeing us and walking over. As Katie saw her, she leapt to her feet.

"Right, I'll go get us a table for breakfast" she said, before darting inside. Nice, Katie. Really subtle. Naomi raised her eyebrows at Katie's retreating form.

"I would ask if it was something I said, but I didn't even say anything." She plopped down beside me on the bench. "You were gone when I woke up." She stared at me, studying my face. "Did you freak out?"

"No!" I answered, quickly. Maybe too quickly. Naomi raised her eyebrows at me. No" I said more firmly. Still she stared questioningly at me. I shrugged. "Okay, maybe a little bit. I just needed some time to think, that's all. But I don't regret what happened."

A smile spread quickly across Naomi's face.

"Really?"

"Really."

"So, if I were to kiss you right now..." Her voice was low and sounded unmistakeably flirty.

"I think I'd be okay with that" I murmured with a sly smile. Naomi eased herself closer to me, wrapping an arm around my back. Her lips brushed softly against mine in a sweet, undemanding kiss. My eyes fluttered closed as I waited for her to deepen the kiss. She left me disappointed.

"Breakfast!" She announced suddenly, rising to her feet. When I opened my eyes, she was smirking down at me, extending her hand towards me. I took it, and let her lead me into the breakfast room.

Katie had commandeered a large table. She was currently sat there with only JJ for company. Naomi and I joined them.

"Katiekins!" Cook practically prowled into the room. When he reached Katie, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her awkwardly into him. "Last night was fucking fantastic, girl!" He sent a wink towards Naomi, before letting Katie go and sinking into the seat next to her. Katie turned towards him and they kissed. I was so glad that I hadn't had any breakfast yet, or I would be struggling to keep it down at the sight of Cook's tongue vigorously exploring my sister's mouth. Not that Katie was complaining. Well, she could hardly talk with her mouth full, but you know what I mean.

Shortly afterwards, Freddie and Effy walked into the room together. Cook had finally stopped his assault on Katie, so she waved them over towards us. Effy slumped down into a seat, while Freddie went to get some orange juice. Naomi smiled knowingly at Effy.

"I sent something up to your room last night, I hope you liked it."

Effy scowled at her, but the effect was lost as Freddie casually dropped a kiss onto her forehead as he returned to the table.

"Freddie, where were you last night? You missed the all night 'Dukes of Hazard' marathon on Bravo" said JJ. Freddie smiled sheepishly at him.

"Sorry, JJ. Something came up." He didn't look sorry in the slightest. Cook bellowed with laughter, pointing a finger first at Freddie, then at Effy.

"Something came _up_? I bet it did, man!" He reached across the table and clapped Freddie hard on the shoulder. Yes, that's our Cook. Such a subtle, refined sense of humour.

As we all tucked into a hearty full English - with the exception of Effy who nibbled delicately on a slice of toast - Panda and Thomas walked into the room holding hands. They joined us at our table.

"So, Mr and Mrs Tomone! I hope you had fun?" Asked Katie. Panda launched straight into her answer.

"Yeah, we thought we'd try something new, so I'd got some furry love-cuffs to try out, but they were only plastic! So Thomo cuffed me to the bed, and it was fine for a while but I got so excited that I ended up breaking them! They just weren't strong enough, were they Thomo? So next time we're gonna get some metal ones."

Silence fell across the table. Thomas looked abashed, but Panda was grinning from ear to ear. Eventually, Katie broke the silence.

"I _meant_ at the wedding! We didn't want details of the wedding _night!_" Everyone began to giggle, as Panda shrugged.

"God, I'll be filing _that_ one under 'too much information'!" Laughed Katie. I didn't bother to point out that Cook had made it obvious to the whole room what her own night had entailed.

"So, looks like I was the only one not getting any, last night" grumbled JJ. "Well, except for Naomi and Emily."

I choked a little over a piece of bacon. I felt suddenly so much warmer, as Katie shot a smirk in my direction. Fortunately Naomi leapt to answer.

"Yeah, that's right JJ. Dukes of Hazard marathon for us, as well." She grasped my hand in hers under the table, and I shot her a grateful smile. I wasn't ready to go quite so public about our night together yet.

* * *

**Let me know what you think!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Thankyou once again for the lovely reviews. I really do love them all. They also help: the idea for Panda's 'over-share' in the last chapter came to me when I read wristducky's review for chapter 13.**

**There's another smut warning for this chapter, which totally took me by surprise. I thought they were all ready to leave the hotel, but Emily had other ideas. It seems that after discovering the 'power of the pussy' to use HyperFitched's words, she has become insatiable. Besides, it turned out that they didn't have to check-out of the hotel until 12.00, so what's a girl to do, alone in a hotel room with a blonde godess?**

**Anyway, here we go with Naomi's next chapter. She has been lying from the start, but she has saved the biggest lies for herself - which makes it bloody difficult to write from her pov!**

**Enjoy! Myrtle**

* * *

Chapter Fifteen

Naomi

It had finally happened. I had finally got Emily into bed. I suppose it hadn't really taken me all that long, it just felt like it somehow. I don't think I have ever wanted anyone so much in my life. How I had managed not to push her to reciprocate, I'll never know. I suppose I didn't want her to feel uncomfortable. But Emily _had_ wanted to reciprocate. My heart went out to her when I saw how nervous she was about doing that. She fumbled through it at first, but those nerves hadn't lasted long. I could tell that she enjoyed making me feel it. And it may have been her first time with a girl, but she was certainly a quick learner.

It surprised me that as I came, her name was the first word across my lips. That's not me - I don't do that kind of romantic crap. It freaked me out a little, so as soon as my breathing had returned to normal, I rolled us over in order to make Emily come undone again. It was my way of regaining that control, I guess.

Our night together had also given me proof of something that I had suspected for a while. Emily is just bursting with passion. Watching her come, and giving in to that passion was a beautiful sight. She seems so calm and serene on the surface, but beneath that exterior beats the heart of a very fiery woman. I couldn't wait to unlock more of that passion as she became more relaxed around me.

* * *

I woke at about 4 in the morning. I felt a blind panic grip me as I found myself wrapped around Emily's limbs. I couldn't breath like that so I extricated myself from her arms as carefully as possible. I liked my space while I slept. I slipped into the other bed, and eventually fell back to sleep. When I woke again, Emily's bed was empty. I wasn't completely surprised, but I felt a momentary stab of pain in my chest at the sight.

I was really relieved to discover that Emily hadn't gone into a complete meltdown over what had happened between us. She had seemed relaxed by the time I found her. Katie's instant disappearance made me wonder if Emily had confided in her. They are twins - maybe they share everything with each other. I certainly did that with Cook, and he's not even any relation.

Naturally, after breakfast Cook made a beeline to speak to me. The two of us hung back as the rest of our group filed out of the breakfast room. As soon as they were out of earshot, he turned towards me with a ridiculous grin on his face.

"I fucked Katie last night!"

I rolled my eyes at him. Did he really think that it wasn't palpably obvious already?

"Ever the gentleman, Cook. Not like you to kiss and tell!"

He sniggered at me. He had a point - we usually shared most details with each other. I felt sure that I would later be regaled with details of Katie's technique, any interesting birthmarks or tattoos, any embarrassing little noises she made.

"I won the bet!" He exclaimed, pummelling the air in triumph. "That is, unless you got some with Emily? I'll need proof, mind!"

I opened my mouth to tell him that yes, I had indeed 'got some' last night. Then I remembered Emily's grateful little smile to me when I had covered for her embarrassment at breakfast. I closed my mouth, and shook my head. Cook's laugh resounded around me.

"I told you! Face it, Naomi, that girl only likes cock. It's just a fact of life!" I grimaced at him instead of giving an answer. Cook continued. "Maybe I should have a crack at her, now that I've satisfied Katie!"

"Fuck off, Cook." It came out rather more harshly than I intended. I knew Cook didn't stand a chance with Emily, but I couldn't stand the idea of him trying. He laughed at me yet again.

"Touched a sore spot, have I? Maybe you're getting tetchy, 'cause you haven't been fucked in a while." He paused, studying my face. I did my best to look impassive under his scrutiny. "Or maybe, she's really getting to you" he probed. A wide smile spread across his face. "Yeah, that's it! You've got a thing for Emilio! It's finally happened, Naomi's in love! Oh, this is priceless. So, when should I buy a hat?"

"Fuck. Off." I flipped Cook the finger before stalking off along the corridor.

God, he could be such a fucking arsehole sometimes. How the fuck could he think I'm in love? I've never been in love, never looked for love, and never want to be in love. It's all a steaming pile of shit anyway. My father loved my mother, and look how that turned out. She chucked him out and got someone who earned more money and was easier to manipulate. Cook's words had really stung me. I felt anger welling up inside me towards him.

And why the fuck didn't I just tell him about me and Emily? I intended to, but somehow the words had died in my throat. It puzzled me - I had never spared him the details before. Somehow, everything just felt different with Emily. I felt out of control around her sometimes, and that's not a feeling I'm comfortable with.

My head was buzzing as I let myself back into the room. The door had barely shut behind me when I felt myself suddenly pushed back against it. Emily was pressing her body against me, her lips burning against mine. There was that fire that I had unlocked again. All of my anger at Cook vanished in a second, as Emily's tongue slipped easily into my waiting mouth. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her impossibly closer.

She broke from my lips to press hot kisses along my jaw and down my neck. I moaned involuntarily as I felt her fingers slip inside my bra, toying with my nipple. I glanced down. I had been so preoccupied with Emily's lips, I hadn't even noticed her nimble fingers had undone the buttons of my shirt. I felt an urge to touch her skin. My hands slid up her back, under her t-shirt. As my fingers reached higher, I let out a gasp at what I didn't feel. Emily wasn't wearing a bra. How the fuck did I not notice that during breakfast? I was certainly noticing now. I stared down at her perfect tits, covered only by a thin piece of material, her erect nipples pushing against the fabric. I slid a hand around from her back under her top to squeeze one of those beautiful breasts. Emily's lips moved to my ear. I felt her hot breath against my lobe.

"I can't stop thinking about how you made me feel last night" she muttered, as she slid my shirt from my shoulders. Her husky voice was dripping with arousal. I reached a hand up and gently tugged at her hair, until her eyes were staring into mine.

"I want to make you scream, Emily" I told her, with what I hoped was a smouldering look. "I want to hear you screaming my name."

Her only answer was to pull me into another passionate kiss. By the way her tongue was lashing hungrily against mine, I took it that she liked my suggestion. I walked her backwards until the back of her legs hit the nearest bed. She shimmied up it, and I stepped out of my shoes, before climbing onto the bed. As our lips locked together again, I felt Emily's hands sliding down my arms, pulling my bra straps with them. She broke our kiss to take one of my nipples into her mouth, her fingers playing with the other one. It seems Emily is as enamoured with my tits as I am with hers. I couldn't resist them. I pushed her t-shirt up, exposing her cleavage in all it's glory. I couldn't give them the attention I wanted to just yet however, due to our positions. I was straddling Emily and she had her face to my chest. Her lips and teeth tugged gently at each nipple in turn, sending bolts of electricity right through me.

It seemed Emily had other ideas anyway. Her hands slid down my sides until they reached the hem of my skirt. They hitched it up, before one hand slid straight to the crotch of my knickers. I moaned as Emily's fingers rubbed against my clit. She must be able to feel how wet I am for her. She raised herself up to a sitting position, still keeping me straddled on her lap. My lips sought out hers again. Before I knew what was happening, the crotch of my knickers were pushed to one side, and Emily's fingers were sliding against my wetness. I moaned again, as a single finger pushed deeply and slowly inside of me. There was no hesitation this time. Emily knew exactly what she wanted to do to me. At the next stroke, it was two fingers moving inside of me. She took long, deliberate strokes while her thumb rubbed gently against my clit. Those slow, teasing movements seemed to last forever.

"Emily, please" I gasped out at last. Her eyes looked questioningly at me as a wry smile played at the corners of her mouth. "Just fuck me!" I whispered. It was the best I could manage. Of course it was what she was already doing, but I knew she would catch my meaning. Her free arm wrapped around my waist, and held onto my hip, pulling me into her. The fingers that were currently inside of me began to move faster and faster, until they reached a perfect rhythm. Wave after wave of feeling rushed through me as I moved closer and closer to the big O.

"Curl your fingers" I whispered. She did so, and the next second I felt myself crash wonderfully over the edge into ecstasy. I gripped onto Emily's shoulders for all I was worth as my orgasm ripped through me.

"Oh, fuck! Emily!" I gasped out. She held me tightly as I shuddered through the sensations.

As my breathing began to return to normal, I remembered my promise to make Emily scream. I pushed her back until she was lying down on the bed. I leaned over her and gave her breasts the attention I so wanted to give them, licking and sucking on each one in turn. As I did so, my hands undid her jeans. I slid one hand down, inside her jeans and into her knickers. This wasn't the time to take things slowly. She was soaking wet, and from the way her body reacted when I stroked across her clit, I knew she was ready for me. I pressed firmly against her, sliding my fingers where she needed them. As she reached her orgasm, she did indeed cry out my name.

After we made each other come once, we stripped off the rest of our clothes and fucked each other again. This time we took our time over it, delighting in each other's bodies, drawing out every sensation. We spent the best part of the morning just making each other feel incredible.

* * *

After finally checking out of the hotel, we drove home. It was a beautiful sunny day, so I took the top of the car down and we made our meandering way back to reality. As we travelled, Emily reached across and took my free hand in hers. It felt nice just to keep some contact between us.

We didn't want to part company just yet, so I drove us back to my house. As I opened the front door, we were greeted by the smell of freshly baked bread. Mum must have been busy in the kitchen again. That's where we headed, and Mum and Malcolm were sat there chatting and laughing over a cup of tea and a sandwich. Mum looked up as we walked in.

"Hi love. Oh, hi Emily! Lovely to see you again." I heard the surprise in her voice. Mum was always on at me over the fact that she never saw the same girl with me twice. This was quite a novelty for her. "Sit down girls. I'll get you some tea." She bustled about getting mugs. I had no intention of joining them, but Emily immediately pulled out a seat at the invitation and sat down. I sighed, before also sitting down.

"Emily, this is Malcolm" I told her while gesturing to my step dad. Malcolm stroked a hand over his thinning grey hair and smiled politely at her.

"Nice to meet you" he told her. He wasn't the most talkative of men, so that sentence seemed to exhaust his limited powers for small-talk. It didn't matter though, my Mum could talk for England.

"So, how was the wedding?" She asked. Emily and her fell straight away into an easy conversation about Panda's wedding. Emily furnished her with plenty of details that I wouldn't have been able to provide, and my mum was always ready with encouraging questions. Malcolm pretended to listen at first, before disappearing behind his newspaper.

Eventually, after two mugs of tea and some freshly baked bread, Emily and I made our escape upstairs to my room. We collapsed side by side onto my bed.

"Sorry about them" I told her.

"Naomi, it's fine. I like your mum." My only response was to roll my eyes. As I was lying on my back facing the ceiling, Emily missed it. "Do they know you're gay?" She suddenly asked.

"Yeah, they've known for ages."

"And they're okay with it?"

"Yes, they're fine with it. Mum used to go on all sorts of equal rights protests anyway, so I knew she'd have no problem with it. If there's a minority, she's supported them. Malcolm's pretty old fashioned, so I wasn't sure how he would react, but he's never said anything to me about it. I don't think mum would let him be anything other than okay with it." I twisted onto my side to face Emily. She mirrored my actions. When I saw her face, she looked lost in thought. I felt sure she was thinking about her parents. She didn't know yet that I knew what a horrible bigot her mother was. Eventually she spoke.

"My mother would freak" she said quietly. Then she giggled nervously. "And if she knew what I'd been doing this weekend, it would make her head spin." We both laughed together at the thought, before our giggles died away. Emily looked sad as she considered her mother's possible reaction. I wanted to say something to take that look off her face, but I couldn't think of anything. Instead, I reached my hand to the back of her neck and pulled her in towards my lips. She slid her arm around my waist and deepened the kiss.

We spent the afternoon together like that. We didn't have sex, we just lay on my bed, necking on like a couple of virginal teenagers. I couldn't remember when I had last enjoyed an afternoon in my bedroom as much as that one.

* * *

**A/N: I think 'necking on' may just be an English expression. It's the same as making out.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Thanks once again for the lovely reviews! And to the reviewer 'na': Just because you haven't heard of 'necking on' doesn't mean the expression doesn't exist. Besides: my story, ergo my choice of words. That's just the way it works!**

**I was dashing out to do a show straight after posting on Friday, so I forgot to explain my quotes from the previous chapter. 'Emily Shitification Fitch' got the 'blurry watercolour' ref from Buffy, but no one seemed to get the Friends one. It was only very tiny! A woman who slept with Chandler described the experience as 'bumpy'. The word pops into my head whenever I see the scene of Cook with Arsia, so I just had to use it. **

**I'm not 100% happy with this one, but I wanted to get something up for you before I go away. I'm off to America for two weeks visiting Las Vegas and the Florida Keys. I don't go until Monday, but I probably won't be writing any more before then. Besides, the next chapter will probably end on a cliff-hanger. I'm not going to leave you all hanging with something like that for three weeks!**

**Enjoy! Myrtle**

* * *

Chapter Sixteen

Emily

It was mid week. We had just finished dinner, and the whole family was engaged in our usual after dinner activity of arguing over what to watch on the TV. Normally I would join in with the best of them, but not this time. My mind was elsewhere. Specifically, my mind was with Naomi. I had barely stopped thinking about her since the night of Panda's wedding. They were very pleasant daydreams, I can tell you.

Except for one thing - I had no idea what this thing between us was. We had made love that night, and again the next day. We had spent the rest of Sunday together, wrapped up in our own little bubble. We had seen each other since then, too. I had gone round there after work on Tuesday, and we had spent the whole evening in bed together. But still, I didn't know what this was. There had been no conversation about that. Were we dating? That was a question I really couldn't answer. I knew that Naomi had never had anything resembling a girlfriend before. She hadn't even asked me to stay overnight at her house yet. Of course, there would be no chance of her staying overnight here - even boyfriends were not allowed to spend the night. But I felt sure from things that Naomi had said that Gina would have no such house rules. The truth was, I felt way too uncertain to ask Naomi about any of it.

I was brought out of my daydream by a knock at the door. Dad and James were busy wrestling each other over the remote control, hindered by Katie who continuously hit whoever she could reach with a rolled up copy of 'Heat' magazine. Mum was shouting to whoever would listen that Coronation Street was coming on. I rolled my eyes at the scene, before going to answer the door. As soon as I answered it, I wished someone else had done so. That way I could have at least pretended to be out. Too late for that now.

"Hi Gary." I smiled at him, then wondered if it made me look happy to see him. I wiped the smile from my face, then began to wonder if I now seemed too unfriendly. God, this was awkward. I stepped outside, pulling the door to behind me.

"Emily, I need to talk to you" he began. I stifled a sigh. Somehow, I knew what was coming. Gary had never wanted us to split up - he was here hoping for another chance. I glanced around desperately, hoping for a way out of this conversation. I had known when I broke up with him that I was doing the right thing, and everything that had happened since then had only served to convince me of that.

"I can't let you go, Emily. I love you."

I scrunched my eyes tight shut, wishing I could make this go away. It was no longer Gary that I wanted to hear those words from. But no amount of wishing was going to deal with this for me.

"Gary, I'm sorry. It's over" I said at last. I opened my eyes, but I couldn't meet his gaze.

"Just tell me why." I could hear the urgency in his voice. "Is there someone else?"

"No." The lie was through my lips without any thought from me. Apparently, I didn't sound very convincing.

"Who is he? Em, just tell me."

I shook my head as I felt tears welling up in my eyes. This was horrible. I did care about Gary, just not in the way that he wanted. I knew I owed him the truth, but I was so far from ready for _that_ conversation about Naomi. Gary stepped closer, placing his hands on my upper arms.

"Come on, we're so great together" he coaxed.

"No, I won't change my mind about this. Please go." My resolve was set, but my voice could hardly have sounded less convincing. I fell silent for a moment, trying to form the right words to convince him that I was sincere about this. Before I had a chance, the front door was wrenched open. There in the doorway was Katie. She took in Gary's posture and my tear-stained face in a second. As she stepped outside, Gary dropped his hold on my arms. Katie immediately stepped closer to him, getting right in his face.

"Just understand this, Gary. You're dumped. Fuck off."

I winced at the harshness of her words, but part of me wondered if that severity might actually carry the message through.

"Just let me talk to Emily. It's got nothing to do with you" he mumbled. Gary had never got on with Katie and not for the first time, I had the feeling that he was a little afraid of her brittle exterior.

"No. She's already told you the same thing. You can pretty much fuck off now." She crossed her arms and drew herself up to her full height, which was still a good head and shoulders below Gary. She fixed him with her grade one 'Fitch Bitch' stare. He looked past her, searching for my eyes. With Katie standing beside me, I managed to find a stronger sounding tone for my voice.

"I won't change my mind" I told him firmly, not once looking away. "It's over."

He looked like he was about to say something more, but Katie continued to glare at him. Braver men than him have crumbled beneath that stare. I was just pleased that she didn't have the copy of Heat with her still - she might have chased him from the premises, beating him about the head with it. Gary's shoulders slumped in defeat as he turned away.

Katie and I stepped back inside the house, clicking the door closed behind us. I felt pretty bad about letting my sister fight my battles for me, even though we're adults now.

"Thanks" I told her. I may have felt bad, but I was still grateful. I could never speak to Gary that harshly, but that seemed to be what he needed to get the message.

"S'okay" she shrugged. "Are you okay?"

I gave her a shrug of my own. That was such a difficult question to answer right now. She reached out her hand to squeeze mine.

"If you need to talk..."

I nodded at her and wrapped her up in a tight hug. I had no idea where to even begin talking about everything that was going on in my head, but it was nice to know that she was there for me.

"How's things going with Cook?" I asked as we pulled out of the hug.

"He's fun to hang around with, but I'm not looking for anything serious with him. He's not exactly 'boyfriend' material, is he?" I shook my head. I certainly didn't think so, but he did seem to be hanging around Katie more than ever at the gym. "He's trying to persuade me to go round to his crummy little bed-sit one night," she explained as she rolled her eyes dramatically. "He keeps saying he'll get a black forest gateau in!"

I laughed along with Katie, but I was beginning to wonder if Cook might be rather smitten with her.

* * *

Just over a week later, we were all gathered at Thomas and Panda's flat. They had invited myself, Katie, Effy, JJ and Freddie round to look at their honeymoon photos over a few bottles of wine. Every so often, we got together at their place for a night in - usually when funds were too low for a night out. As the rest of us still lived at home, their flat was the best place for us all to hang out. We usually ended up getting pretty drunk, and pretty stoned. This time Katie had brought Cook along, and naturally I had invited Naomi. She had agreed straight away. We were spending so much time together at the moment and I was loving it.

Seating was limited. I was sat in an armchair, and Naomi was sat on the arm of it. From that location I quickly discovered that she was able to give me subtle little touches unnoticed by the others. They were innocent enough - she would run her fingers along my arm, or over my back - but they still sent a warm feeling right the way through me.

Once everyone had a glass of wine, Panda began handing round the photos. Her and Thomas had spent a week in Italy, but had managed to take virtually no photos of any historical or beautiful sights. Nearly all of them were of the two of them, arms wrapped around each other, both grinning like idiots. Every waiter in Italy must have been approached to take their picture.

Panda was telling everyone a story about something that had happened in Pisa, but my mind had wandered off. Naomi's hand had found it's way under my shirt, and she was gently stroking the skin at the base of my back. I couldn't help myself. My mind drifted back over the times that we had been so much more intimate with each other. A myriad of images of a naked and very sweaty Naomi swam through my head. I suddenly felt very hot. I snuck a sideways glance at Naomi, but she looked to be following the conversation, unaware of the effect she was having on me. I thought I better make an effort to compose myself. I got up, and made my way into the kitchen to top up my wine.

I stood in the kitchen for a few moments, trying to drag my mind back to cleaner thoughts. I heard footsteps behind me. I had my back to the door, but I sensed who was there even before I turned around. I felt like every nerve ending in my body was standing to attention. As I turned to face the door, I saw Naomi grinning at me from the doorway. She waved her empty wine glass at me.

"I needed a top up, too."

I smiled back at her. Her glass had been half full when I left the sitting room. She had necked it quickly so that she had an excuse to follow me into the kitchen. Naomi covered the distance between us in two strides. I had my back to the counter, and she stood in front of me, as close as she could without actually touching me. I held my breath as she reached an arm around me. I waited for her to step into the remaining space between us, but she didn't. Instead, she grabbed the bottle of wine from behind me, and topped up her glass with a cheeky smirk.

I breathed again, deciding on a little pay-back. I took her glass and the bottle from her and placed them on the counter. I placed my hands on her hips and moved us around until her back was against the counter, never breaking eye contact. I licked my lips and leaned closer. I waited until I saw her eyelids flutter closed.

"We should be getting back" I whispered against her lips, before turning away from her. Before taking more than a step, I felt Naomi's hand close around my elbow.

"Not so fast" she growled, pulling me back into her. I willingly closed the distance between us, all thoughts of teasing her disappearing in an instant. I pressed my lips to hers. She deepened the kiss straight away, sliding her arms around me. I slid my hands up to the back of her neck and pushed my body against hers. After a few minutes we broke apart, both gasping for breath.

"I thought you just came in here for wine" I giggled.

"No, I just had to get my hands on you" she admitted. "From where I was sitting, I could look straight down you top. It was very distracting."

"You were perving!" I tried to sound mildly indignant, but the laugh in my voice gave me away.

"Yeah, course I was! Could hardly miss an opportunity like that, could I?" As she spoke, her hand slid under my shirt, heading straight to cup my breast through my bra. I was glad to discover that Naomi had been struggling to follow the conversation in the sitting room as much as I had. I let out a moan as her lips fastened on my neck.

The sound of footsteps heading towards us brought us back to reality. We sprang apart, Naomi sliding her hand out of my top, before we turned to see a smirking Effy in the doorway. She glanced between the two of us as we surreptitiously smoothed our clothing down.

"Right" she said quietly, more to herself than anything. "Are you bringing that wine through then?" She asked, before returning back to the sitting room without waiting for an answer.

Reluctantly, we headed back through to join the others. As I took my seat again, I glanced down to check that my shirt was still gaping a little at the top. I liked the idea of Naomi's eyes on me. Panda's anecdote was reaching it's conclusion.

"...In nothing but a plastic raincoat and a neon pink tutu!" Was the only bit of it that I caught. Everyone else fell about laughing. I made a mental note to ask Katie about it later on. Although on second thoughts, maybe I didn't want to know!

* * *

Much later on, and we had decided to call it a night. Taxis were waiting outside for us. Cook was trying to persuade Katie to go back to his place, but she wasn't interested.

"Cone on" he whined to her. "I'll change the sheets for you."

I chuckled to myself at Cook's idea of romance. I wasn't totally convinced that he would have more than one set of sheets for his bed anyway. I could see that Katie was adamant not to go. I felt a soft tug on my elbow, as Naomi led me a little way from the rest of the group.

"Stay at mine tonight" she whispered, as her hand grazed across my bum. I struggled to stop a huge smile from spreading across my face as I nodded my agreement. After all, it was hardly some big commitment from her - it was just staying overnight. I was cautious of scaring her off if I read to much into it. Whatever this thing was between us, I wanted it to continue. If that meant I had to tread cautiously, then so be it.

* * *

**Well, hardly 'you can be my pyjamas', but Naomi's still quite a way from that! We'll leave them in calm waters for now, but we all know a storm is coming! Anyway, let me know what you think. **


	17. Chapter 17

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**A/N: Well, I'm now back in freezing cold England, after having a great time in America. I think it's physically impossible for me to go to Vegas without seeing a magic show, and this time we saw Penn & Teller. They were absolutely fantastic.**

**Anyway, on with the story. I'm afraid we're just about at 'truth: boom' stage - it's all going to come out over the next few chapters. I was asked to keep them happy for a little while, but for reasons that will become apparent, I couldn't really hold off any longer.**

**This one goes out to HacknSlashUK for her excellent efforts to hypnotise me into writing more smut. It must have worked, because this chapter has another one of those warnings that you all seem to like! It also goes out to all of you who have left me a review so far. They really do make my day, and I love you all! **

I think I'm a bit rusty, but I hope you enjoy. Myrtle.

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Chapter Seventeen

Naomi

"It's all about protein, Emily. Your body is a temple, you have to treat it right."

I rolled my eyes as I listened to the muscled, preening bodybuilder trying desperately to impress Emily. I had slipped quietly into the gym, and Emily hadn't noticed my presence yet. I watched with a smirk on my face as the Chippendale-alike flexed a bicep, and offered it for Emily to squeeze. She did so with little enthusiasm.

"Yeah. Very er, firm" I heard her mutter. He continued, unaware of how unaffected Emily was by his efforts.

"Solid as a rock. Here, look at this." He stripped off his t-shirt to reveal his toned, hairless torso. He must have had it waxed to within an inch of it's life. And how does anybody get to be that colour? This guy was the most orange man I had ever seen. Did something go hideously wrong at the tanning salon? Or maybe he chose to be that colour. Perhaps they have colour swatches, like when buying paint, and he flicked through them before deciding on the 'you've been tangoed' effect.

I watched as Emily swallowed down a yawn, before glancing around the room. A beautiful smile spread across her face as her eyes met mine. She excused herself from the muscle man and walked over to me.

"Seems you have an admirer" I said with a smirk, nodding my head in his direction. Emily rolled her eyes.

"God, he won't take a hint" she whispered. "He came here to work out, but he's spent the whole time showing me his muscles and talking about his bloody diet!"

"Exactly which muscles has he shown you then?" I asked with amusement. Emily giggled, before trying to disguise it as a cough as Mr Tangerine walked over to us. Once she was composed, she introduced us.

"Ken, this is Naomi, she's a member here too."

Ken? As in 'Barbie and...?' I had to suppress a chuckle at that, it was just too perfect. Ken grinned widely at me.

"Well, Naomi if you need help using any of the machines, just let me know."

Okay, this guy was starting to piss me off. Was he trying to be condescending, or did he actually think he was being charming?

"Actually _Ken, _Emily gives me all the help I need." I kept my tone neutral so that it didn't imply that we were talking about anything other than gym equipment. I knew that Emily would pick up on the subtext though, and I saw the hint of a smile ghost across her face.

"Yeah, but if you need anyone stronger, give me a yell" he added with a wink. Pfft, who does this guy think he is? I flashed my sweetest smile at him.

"Oh, I forgot. Robert Kilroy-Silk called. He wants his tan back." Okay, I know that was a cheap shot, but it was worth it. Ken's eyebrows crashed together instantly, as a look of fury rose on his face. Sensing trouble, Emily pushed me towards the door.

"I'm off now, Ken. I'm on a half day today. See you, bye!" She rattled through the last few words in a rush as she marched the two of us out of the gym. She chuckled as the door closed behind her.

"You ready?" I asked. Emily was indeed taking a half day off, and I was here to pick her up so that we could spend the afternoon together.

"Yeah, I just need to get my bag from the office."

A few moments later, and we were alone in the office. Emily pulled me towards her for a proper greeting. As her lips pressed against mine, I wrapped my arms around her. She was wearing jogging bottoms and the regulation 'Fitch Fitness' polo shirt. In other words, there was too much skin covered up for my liking. I couldn't help myself. As her tongue slipped through my lips, deepening the kiss, my hands began to slide under her top. The heat of her skin felt amazing to my touch. My hands seemed almost to act of their own accord, heading straight to where my interest always went with Emily. One hand unclipped her bra, while the other hand slid to palm her breast.

"Hey, spaghetti arms!" Emily stepped out of my embrace, batting my arms away from her. "We can't do this here!"

I grinned lasciviously at her. She stared back at me. In her eyes I saw a silent battle going on between her propriety and her libido. In another second, she stepped around me and walked towards the door. I heard the faint click of the lock being pushed across. Sounds to me like libido won. I turned around to face her, and felt her lips instantly on mine. We kissed each other hungrily, only breaking off long enough for me to strip her shirt off, carrying her bra along with it. Emily pushed me backwards until my bum collided with the desk behind me.

As my hands palmed her tits and played with her nipples, hers slid down over my hips and then my thighs. I was wearing a short skirt, and in another second Emily had it pulled up around my waist. Then I felt her lift me effortlessly onto the desk. Her sudden show of strength turned me on even more than I already was. Thanks for the offer Ken, but my Emily is plenty strong enough for me.

I opened my legs and pulled her in towards my body. We kissed passionately, our tongues moving perfectly against each others. Emily swiftly unbuttoned my shirt, and slid one hand inside the cup of my bra. Her other hand moved downwards, seeking out my heat. I gasped as her thumb rubbed firmly against my clit through my knickers. She pushed her hips into me, letting them add to the pressure of her hand. I wrapped my legs around her waist.

Emily's other hand worked the cup of my bra down, until her lips were able to fasten around my already rock hard nipple. I'm sure I moaned out her name as her teeth grazed against it. I know I tangled my hands in her hair, pulling her into me as her lips tugged on my nipple. And I know my hips bucked forward towards her as her thumb found it's way inside my knickers, pressing against my clit without the material barrier.

Suddenly, Emily moved back out of my embrace. Both her hands moved to the hem of my knickers. I closed my legs and lifted my hips to ease their passage. Her hands left a trail of fire as they slid smoothly down my legs, taking my knickers with them. As they slipped over my ankles to the floor, I opened my legs again, expecting Emily to take the same position she was in a moment before. Instead, she dropped to her knees in front of me. One arm snaked around my hips, the other traced gentle patterns against the top of my thigh. Her lips pressed hot, wet kisses against my lower stomach, just below my belly button. As she slowly moved lower, I waited for the exquisite feeling of that first contact. At first all I felt was Emily's hot breath as she breathed against my clit. Then I felt her fingers gently part my pussy lips, before her tongue pushed inside of me, tasting, exploring. My hands grabbed convulsively at her hair. My breath was coming out in ragged bursts.

Her tongue steadily explored every inch of my pussy, driving me wild with desire. Just as I felt like I might spontaneously combust, she moved higher, switching her attention to where I really wanted it. As Emily licked and sucked at my clit, all coherent thoughts were driven from my brain.

"God, fuck, Ems!" I moaned, knowing I was close. As I hurtled nearer and nearer to the edge, I felt a single finger slide inside of me. As it curled at just the right spot, I abandoned all worldly feelings and felt my orgasm rip through my entire body. Emily kept a hold of my bucking hips with her free hand, and kept her tongue moving where it was until she had brought me gently back down to earth. Then she gazed up at me with a look of awe on her face.

"Wow!" was all she said. It still seemed to amaze her that she was able to make me come undone in such spectacular fashion.

* * *

We walked through reception hand in hand. Katie was behind the desk today.

"Hi, lezzers" was her greeting to us, before she frowned, scrutinising our faces. "Oh, God! You've been at it in the office, haven't you?"

I was all set for a denial, but Emily sank any chance of that by immediately blushing.

"Urgh!" Katie gave a mock shudder. "You realise I'll have to burn that couch now, right?"

"The couch is fine, it's the desk you'll need to burn" I told her, adding a wink for good measure. As Katie's jaw dropped in surprise, I tugged on Emily's hand and led her outside to my car.

"So, where to Miss Fitch?"

"Home first."

"Home?" Shit. I hoped the sudden panic I felt wasn't obvious in my voice.

"Yeah, I need to get changed. And er, well. Don't you think I should brush my teeth before we go anywhere?" She chuckled softly.

"Will anyone else be home?" I asked, as nonchalantly as I could. Emily glanced at her watch.

"No, not for a couple of hours at least."

Okay, I reasoned. We could do this. Back to Emily's house, a quick change and a freshen up, then leave before Jenna or Rob are any the wiser.

After a very nervous journey in which I desperately wondered what I would say to Emily if either Jenna or Rob's cars were on the driveway, we reached the house. I heaved a silent sigh of relief when I saw the empty driveway. I parked up outside, and Emily led the way into her house.

As we walked into the sitting room, I glanced around taking in my surroundings. I was deep in enemy territory now. I sat down on the sofa, and my vision was immediately accosted with a huge family portrait, hanging above the fireplace. It was painted in thick, dark oils. The pose looked so contrived. Jenna sat on a chair, looking just as smug as I remembered her. The twins stood either side of her, each resting a hand on her shoulders. In front of them, kneeling on the floor was someone who I presumed to be James. Stood behind them all was Rob, grinning for all he was worth. He was showing more teeth than the entire Osmond family combined. Emily rolled her eyes as she saw what I was looking at.

"I hate that thing, but mum loves it" she told me. I wasn't surprised. When I had worked at the gym, all Jenna had ever talked about was her wonderful, precious little family. As Emily left the room to get changed, I found myself staring at the picture, knowing that the real Jenna would never smile at me like that on seeing me in her house.

A short while later Emily returned wearing jeans and a t-shirt. She dropped down next to me on the sofa and moved straight away to kiss me. As our lips met, I moved us so that she was lying on top of me on the couch. All thoughts of a quick get away rushed from my head as my hands found their way under her top.

"You're insatiable" she muttered against my lips, before moving down to kiss my neck.

"Yeah, but you like it." I closed my eyes at the sensation of Emily sucking on my pulse point. She broke the contact to chuckle softly.

"Yeah, it's one of the things I love about you." She moved her lips back to my pulse point as my eyes snapped open like a couple of roller shutters. What? What the fuck? Did Emily just use the 'L' word? She didn't seem to notice that anything was amiss. She wasn't acting like she had said anything important. But that didn't stop a cold fear from creeping into my stomach.

I didn't have any time to think about it. Emily and I had been so wrapped up in each other that neither one of us heard the front door opening. The first we knew that someone had arrived home was when Jenna bundled her way into the sitting room.

"Oh, I'd forget my head if it wasn't..." Her sentence stopped abruptly as she took in the sight of Emily all over me on the sofa. An icy silence descended on the room as Emily clambered off me.

"What the _Hell _is going on here?" Asked Jenna eventually in a harsh whisper. We sat side by side on the couch, both of us pinned there by Jenna's barely contained fury. I opened my mouth, but finding I had nothing to say, I closed it again.

"I'm waiting, young lady." Jenna glared at Emily so ferociously I was surprised that she didn't visibly shrink back. Instead, Emily reached across and squeezed my hand gently.

"You better go" she told me in a whisper. I certainly wanted to. Whatever scene was about to unfold, I had no desire to be a part of it.

"Emily, I..." Her pleading eyes cut my sentence short.

"Naomi please - just go. I'll ring you later."

At the sound of my name, Jenna's eyes snapped to meet mine. I flinched as I felt sure a look of recognition crossed them. I wasn't about to stay and find out. I rose to my feet, discovering that my legs felt quite shaky. I slipped out of the house without a backwards glance or another word. I didn't stop until I had slammed the car door shut behind me. Then I let out a faltering sigh.

"Fuck!" I shouted to the car at large. Was this some serious kind of irony? The plan that I had abandoned had just turned around and walloped me right in the face. Right now, I was supposed to be revelling in Jenna's obvious rage. For so long, I had wanted to be the cause of such anger. Now that it had happened by accident, I just felt sick.

* * *

**A/N: So there we go. I'm sure quite alot of you knew where I was heading with that one. Anyway, I'm not looking forward to writing the next chapter, cos it's gonna get ugly.**

**Let me know what you think!**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: So, here we go again. I really can't believe that I'm nearing 200 reviews. I really didn't expect this story to pick up much notice, so thanks to everyone who takes the time to write a review.**

**I struggled quite a bit with this chapter. Partly because I have poured some of my own mother into writing Jenna. She's nowhere near as bad as Jenna, but her and my dad do have some ugly opinions. Incidentally, Jenna's thoughts in this chapter about bi-sexuals is something that my mother said to me just a few weeks ago. Hmm, lets just say my mother doesn't know me as well as she thinks she does. **

**Anyway, I'm not sure that I've got the argument quite right, but I can't put my finger on why. Please let me know what you think - I love to get lovely comments, but I can take criticism as well - as long as it's constructively given!**

**Myrtle**

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Chapter Eighteen

Emily

Fuck, fuck, FUCK! I can't remember ever seeing mum this mad before. When she's pissed off, she grumbles about everything. When she's angry, she shouts. But when she gets so mad that her voice becomes a harsh whisper, that's the time to panic. And this? Let's just say that I was extremely uncomfortable.

I watched with a sinking feeling as Naomi walked out of the room. I knew there was no point in her staying - her presence would only infuriate mum further. But that didn't mean that I wanted to be left alone with the Kraken that my mother was about to turn into. No sooner did the front door close, than my mother started.

"Just what the _ruddy_ _hell_ do you think you were doing with that... that..."

Clearly there wasn't a severe enough word in my mother's vocabulary for what she thought Naomi was. For one wild second, I thought about passing it all off as just messing around. That we were just two friends, tickling each other, and my lips had somehow accidentally fallen on her neck. As ridiculous as that sounded, I felt sure that my mother would probably buy it. Doing so would be so much easier for her than facing the truth. But in the next second, I dismissed the idea. As unpleasant as this would be, it was time to face up to it.

"We were making out, okay?"

My mum's jaw dropped in shock.

"But... with a _girl?_" She narrowed her eyes in distaste. I took a deep breath and braced myself.

"Mum, I like her. I really like her. I've never felt like this about anyone before."

My mother shook her head, like she could make what she was hearing go away.

"Don't be ridiculous, Emily! Three weeks ago, you were in love with Gary, and now you're claiming to have feelings for that..."

"Her name is Naomi" I spat. I could feel an anger building up inside of me. "And I wasn't in love with Gary. Ever since I met Naomi, I've been realising what I really want." My mother seized immediately on that.

"So that's it! I knew there was more to you breaking up with Gary. It's her fault, isn't it? There you were, a nice happy, _normal_ twin until she showed up and seduced you!"

"I'm still normal!" I snapped, before trying to make my tone more even. "And Naomi didn't seduce me. I have free-will, you know! I'm capable of deciding what I want for myself." Mum hardly seemed to be listening anymore.

"It's okay, a lot of people experiment" she chuntered more to herself than to me. She was pacing rapidly backwards and forwards, like a caged tiger waiting to be released. "Good job I came home when I did, or God only knows what might have happened."

So mum was thankful that in her eyes, things hadn't gone further? I decided to shatter her illusion.

"I've already nailed her, if that's what you're thinking" I said, coldly. I amazed myself at how smooth my voice sounded. Mum's eyes bulged at this new information. Finally I seemed to be getting through to her. "Yeah, I've nailed her several times, actually. She _is_ rather beautiful - I could hardly resist." I knew this wasn't the way to get mum onside, but her fury was provoking me. She clasped her hands together and adopted a more pleading tone.

"Emily, don't be silly. You're not gay!"

"I don't know what I am. This is all new to me. Maybe I'm bi-sexual."

She let out a single, hollow laugh at that.

"Don't be ridiculous! _Bi_-sexual doesn't make any sense. It's just being greedy."

"What?" I don't know why I was even surprised - I had heard this kind of crap from her all my life. "Mum, deal with this, okay. I'm in love with a girl." Shit, am I? Okay, not the best time for some sort of epiphany, let's leave that thought until later.

"In love!" Mum scoffed. "Right, that's enough. This has gone far enough. You're not to see that girl anymore. I knew she was trouble the second I laid eyes on her!"

I jumped to my feet at that.

"You can't stop me seeing her!" My voice was rising now, my anger obvious. "I'm a fucking adult, mum! And I can see who I like."

Mum's eyes narrowed ferociously.

"You're still living under my roof, Emily" she said, waspishly. "And I forbid you to see that girl again."

"No! I won't stop seeing her. Not for you, not for anybody." We stared each other out, neither one of us willing to back down. Mum considered my statement carefully.

"Then I guess you _don't_ live under this roof anymore" she answered at last. She crossed her arms and glared coldly at me.

"What the fuck, mum?"

"I mean it. If you won't do as I say, you're no longer welcome in this house." Her lips looked thin as she pinched them together tightly. She had made up her mind, that much was clear. I gaped at her. Had it really come to this? My choices were to stop seeing who I wanted to, or move out? I stood there, immobile for a second. Not because I was debating the choice. If mum wasn't going to accept this about me, then my decision had already been made by her. I was just in shock that she preferred to kick me out rather than try to understand.

In another moment, I came to my senses. Without another word, I ran upstairs to my room. I grabbed my bag from the top of the wardrobe and hastily snatched up clothes and belongings, throwing them into it. As quickly as possible, I was back downstairs. I glared at mum, who by now was sat primly in an armchair, avoiding my eyes. I shook my head in disbelief at her before turning to go. When my hand was on the door handle, I heard mum rise to her feet. For a moment I hoped she was about to stop me, to tell me that she didn't want me to go. That hope was dashed immediately when I heard her speak with the same bitterness as before.

"That girl is trouble, Emily. You'll discover it soon enough."

I didn't look back at her. There seemed no point. Instead, I opened the door, strolled through it and slammed it behind me with as much force as I could possibly muster.

I reached the pavement, and the first thought in my mind was 'now what?' I realised that I had to come up with a plan. Where could I go? I thought about going to Naomi's house, but I knew immediately that it would be a mistake. A small part of me had hoped that she would be out here waiting for me, but her car was gone. I wasn't really surprised, but that didn't stop a cold dread flooding through me. I had felt her whole body freeze under me earlier, when I accidentally said that there was something I loved about her. I hadn't meant to say it. We were just kidding around, but it had definitely spooked her. I had pretended not to notice the way she stiffened up, but the memory of it tied a knot in my stomach.

* * *

Some time later I was sat in Thomas and Panda's sitting room. I felt bad about asking two newly weds to let me stay, but I couldn't think of anywhere else to go. Naturally, they had both agreed straight away.

"So, what happened to make your mum go flippin' rar-rar?" asked Panda, confusion clear on her face. I took a deep breath and trained my eyes firmly on the carpet.

"She came home to find me with Naomi." I took another deep breath. When I heard no reaction from either of them, I closed my eyes and carried on. "We were kissing. Me and Naomi, I mean."

"Oh. So you... oh." Panda fell silent. I opened my eyes and took in a quick glance of her face. Her eyebrows were knitted together, like someone had just asked her what 134 divided by 12 was.

"Me and Naomi... we've been seeing each other." No, I probably needed to spell this out a little more. "We've been sleeping together."

"Surfin' and turfin' with Naomi!" Panda's whole face brightened as realisation dawned. "Wow! That's whizzer!"

"Not to my mum. She couldn't deal with it. That's why she kicked me out."

"What, just 'cause you had some fanny fun with Naomi? That's bonkers!"

I chuckled softly to myself at Panda's reaction. I had hardly expected her to be horrified, but the casual way that she just accepted it warmed my heart.

"Emily, I'm sure your mother will come to her senses when she calms down" said Thomas. I wished I could believe that, but I didn't have the same confidence. "But you can stay here for as long as you need to."

"Thanks Thomas." I smiled gratefully at him. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you two about me and Naomi before. It's all just happened so quickly, and I wasn't really sure what was going on between us..."

"That's okay." Panda waved away my concerns. "I would never have guessed, 'cause I'm useless." She lapsed into silence, before catching me off guard with a question. "Does she make your toes curl?" She asked at length.

"What?"

"Naomi. Does she make your toes curl and your tummy swirl?"

"Yes" I answered, without even thinking about it. "She does. It was never like that with Gary. It's mad - I've only known her for a short while."

"God, Em. Love's not, like _sensible!_ It's whacker, and it's crazy, but it also just somehow... makes sense, don't it?"

I nodded, because I knew she was right. That's exactly what this was - love. Now that I had allowed myself a chance to think about it, I knew it was true. I was completely in love with Naomi. The thought made me smile, but only for a second. How on earth was I ever going to tell her? I felt sure Naomi felt something for me too, but she still seemed so scared by the idea of love. Could she really let herself fall for me?

* * *

As the afternoon turned into evening, the three of us sat watching the TV. I couldn't concentrate on anything on screen. My whole body felt heavy with an unsettled feeling of dread. I had tried ringing Naomi, but she wasn't answering. In the end, I had texted her to let her know what had happened and where I was. So far, there had been no reply. Surely she was wondering if I was okay?

Of course, that was only one part of my dark mood. I was also endlessly turning my whole conversation with my mother around and around inside my head. I re-played it, and at times even re-worded it, thinking of all the things I should have said to her. But no matter what I did, the outcome was still the same. My own mother had rejected me and left me homeless because of who I wanted to be with.

I was torn from my internal conversation by the sound of my mobile ringing. I felt a flutter of excitement at the thought of speaking once again to Naomi. It died away as the display informed me that it was Katie calling. With a heavy heart, I answered it.

"Hi Katie."

"Emily! Where are you?"

I had texted Katie, but only to ask her to call me when she left work. It all seemed too much to explain in a message. From the urgency in her voice, I guessed that she must have gone home and spoken to mum before ringing me.

"I'm at Panda's. Mum caught me with Naomi this afternoon and kicked me out."

"Yeah that's what the bitch said she'd done. I'm coming over. See you soon."

Without giving me chance to reply, Katie rang off. I felt relieved that she was coming here. I knew that she would be on my side over this.

In no time at all, Katie arrived. She bustled past Panda as she opened the door, and made straight towards the sofa where I was sat.

"That bitch has gone crazy, Em." She plopped unceremoniously onto the sofa. "She won't back down, no matter what I say. Even dad says she's gone too far, but she won't change her mind."

I sighed. I hadn't really expected any kind of U-turn from mum since this afternoon, but that hadn't stopped me holding onto a small glimmer of hope. I was pleased to hear that at least dad had been on my side. It was a small comfort though, when his words were usually so ineffective against mum.

As I looked at Katie, I had the feeling that something else had happened. She looked awkward, and wouldn't meet my eyes.

"Katie, what is it?" I asked.

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat and fiddled with the hem of her skirt. Eventually, she raised her eyes to mine. I most definitely didn't like what I saw there. She looked so concerned for me over what ever she had to tell me. She took a deep breath.

"Em, I've got to tell you something." She paused. I wondered if I was going to have to drag this out of her one word at a time. "It's about Naomi..."

* * *

**A/N: I know at least some of you were expecting Jenna to reveal that she knew Naomi, but I felt she would probably be too angry at Emily to be all 'hey, I recognise that blonde girl from somewhere...' Anyway, clearly Katie has discovered something... More on that next time, and possibly from Katie's pov.**


	19. Chapter 19

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**A/N: Bit of a change here, this one is from Katie's pov. It took me by surprise when she began demanding her own chapter. Like many others have commented, that girl is hard to ignore. So we go back in time just a little bit - she's still at the gym.**

**I didn't expect to get this one up so quickly, especially considering the fewer reviews for the last chapter! This seems to be happening to a few stories, so I will choose not to take it personally, just yet. Anyway, I can't stop writing this at the moment. This one goes out to AssassinsLover, who seemed anxious for the next chapter. I think you might have the same reaction to the next couple of chapters as well. Sorry.**

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**By the way, I've made Jenna racist as well as homophobic. Just in case we didn't hate her enough. I'm pretty sure she throws cats into wheelie bins as well, just for shits and giggles.**

Enjoy! Myrtle.

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Chapter Nineteen

Katie

We're _definitely_ going to have to replace the desk in the study. Can't those two lezzers keep their hands off each other? I mean - doing it at work? For fucks sake! Okay, so they don't need to know that I was riding Cook's fuckstick in the staffroom the other day. Riding his fuckstick? God, I've been hanging around with him too much. I'm starting to sound like him.

I have to admit, he's growing on me a little. Like a wart maybe, but still growing on me. And our session in the staffroom was a lot of fun. Girls on top is definitely the best way to be with Cook. But I'm still keeping him dangling over his offer to make me a three course meal, including a black forest gateau. What is his obsession with those, anyway?

I glanced at my phone when a new text came through. It was from Emily.

**ring me pls when you get chance? E x **

Bitch. Making me use my credit? Anyway, shouldn't she be up to her ears in Naomi by now? There's no fucking way I'm talking to her in the middle of that. I'll see her when I get home.

I just can't figure that Naomi out. I could see from the start that she was making a play for Emily. And I didn't miss the spark between them, either. Emily may have had herself fooled for a little while, but she didn't have me fooled. As soon as she dumped Gary (good riddance if you ask me. Yeah he's nice enough, but that guy needs to get himself a life!) I knew that something was going to happen between her and Naomi. What surprised me was that it _had_ happened, and Naomi was still here. I fully expected her to disappear faster than the Statue of Liberty on the David Copperfield show, once she'd had her fun. Could I have read her wrong? Or was there something else going on with her?

* * *

After work, I headed straight home. As I walked into the house I heard a banging noise coming from the kitchen. Tentatively, I opened the door. It was mum, slamming pots and pans about as she made dinner. Fuck, she's in one pisser of a mood. Not keen to be yelled at, I nearly tiptoed back out of the kitchen without alerting her to my presence. Then I noticed the tears in her eyes.

"Mum, what's wrong?"

She jumped at the sound of my voice, as she still hadn't seen me. She hastily wiped her eyes with her hands, smudging her make-up a little. What the hell could get her both angry and tearful at the same time?

"_Your_ sister..." Whatever Emily had done, mum didn't seem able to put it into words straight away. Shit, mum must have caught her with Naomi. Oh my God, what if Naomi was fucking her over the six-seater table? I wouldn't put it past those two pervy bitches.

"What happened?" I prompted. Mum shook her head, a look of disbelief on her face.

"I came home to find her all over that..._Naomi._" She sounded like it physically hurt her to say the name. "She claimed that they've been..." Words failed her yet again. She took in my impassive face, clearly thinking that this would have been a revelation to me. "You _knew_? You knew about this and you didn't tell me?"

"Where's Emily?" I asked, ignoring mum's question. "Is she upstairs?"

"She doesn't live here anymore" she snapped. I had never heard such coldness in her voice.

"What the _fuck_, mum!" We stared at each other for a moment. The sound of the front door opening broke through the silence. Dad's voice echoed through from the hallway.

"The man of the house is here. Tea better be on the table!"

I rolled my eyes at dad's lameness. He made the same joke at least three times a week. As if he would ever make such demands for real! A moment later, his grinning face joined us in the kitchen. We both turned to face him. His smile slipped as he took in mum's icy expression.

"What's wrong, love?" he asked her. I cut in straight away. There was no way I was letting mum get in first with him.

"Mum caught Emily with a girl, and now she's freaking out." A frown settled on dad's face, but I swung back around to face mum. There was something I needed to know. "Did she leave, or did you kick her out?" I demanded.

"What?" Dad was clearly struggling to keep up with the conversation. "Hang on a second. Emily..."

Mum didn't let him finish.

"She refused to stop seeing her! I had no choice, Katie!"

"So you kicked her out, 'cause she might be gay. For fucks sake, mum!"

"Gay? Don't be silly love, Emily's not gay! She had a boyfriend, didn't she?" said dad, clearly still a couple of steps behind us. I turned to face him, certain that I could make him see sense over this.

"Dad, I think she really is gay. And that COW..." I pointed a finger behind me in mum's general direction. "...kicked her out for it!"

"Oh, that's a bit harsh, Jenna love" he said in a conciliatory tone. A bit harsh? God, when the fuck was this man going to grow a backbone?

"Harsh!" I rolled my eyes at him before rounding on mum. "You've got to let her come home." I glared at her as if I could will her with my eyes. Mum drew herself up to her full height and folded her arms across her chest. It was her 'I won't be moved' stance. Her mind was already made up.

"No, Katie. Emily made herself very clear. Until she stops thinking that she's in love with that...girl, she's not welcome in this house."

"Aw, come on Jenna, love. Let's talk about this" said dad. "Anyway, what girl is this?"

"That slut Naomi, who worked at the gym." Venom practically dripped from mum's words.

"Emily's our daughter, Jenna! Whoever she's seeing, does it matter?" Finally, the man was making a stand.

Wait a minute, something mum said jarred with me. What the fuck? I turned to face her.

"How do you know who Naomi is?" I demanded.

"I told you, I sacked her from the gym last year" mum said dismissively, before returning to her argument with dad. I was no longer listening. What the actual fuck? Naomi never said anything about _working_ at the gym. I couldn't think of any good reasons for her to keep that to herself. Mum could have been mistaken of course, but I doubted it. She thinks all black people look alike, but not even _she_ could think that all lesbians look alike.

I had to get to the bottom of this. I had questioned Naomi's motives from the start, but if she's using Emily because of something to do with the gym, that bitch is going down. I snatched up mum's car keys and dashed out of the house without another word to her or dad. I fully intended driving over to Naomi's house and beating the truth out of her. Just one problem with that - I had no idea where she lived. If I asked Emily for her address, she would want to know why. Since she had enough to deal with right now, I didn't want to drop this on her until I knew what was going on.

Cook, then. He would have Naomi's address. I was about to dial his number, when a thought occurred to me. Cook had been working at the gym for some time. If Naomi had worked there last summer, then Cook would already know that. Whatever was going on, he was in on it. Or at the very least, he was aware of it. I dropped my phone onto the passenger seat and started the engine. Time to pay Cook that visit he's been asking me for.

* * *

I hammered on Cook's door.

"Keep your fuckin' hair on!" I heard from the other side. Eventually, the door swung open. Cook was dressed in nothing but 'Fitch Fitness' jogging pants. When he saw me, a huge grin cracked his face. "Katiekins! If I knew you were coming, I'd have baked a cake!"

I wasn't here for small talk. I slipped around him, ignoring his open arms. I threw a quick glance around me at his crappy bedsit. There were no separate rooms here - it had a kitchen 'area', a sitting 'area', and a sleeping 'area'. Every last inch of it seemed to be covered in Cook's junk. He caught my scathing look.

"Well, I'd of tidied up, if you said you were coming" he said, as he scooted some clutter off the bed. He needn't think that I'm here for that.

"How did you meet Naomi?" I asked, not bothering with any preamble. If my sudden question surprised him, he didn't show it. He frowned, trying to remember.

"It was about four years ago. She was going to that posh sixth form school, and I was..."

This wasn't getting me the information I wanted, so I cut across his sentence.

"Did she work at the gym last year?"

Cook's eyes met mine immediately. The guilty look on his face drowned the last of my hope that this was a mistake. As his gaze dropped to the floor, I decided on firmer tactics. I marched towards him. He backed up until his back reached the wall beside his bed. I reached down towards his crotch, and grabbed. Hard.

"Ahh! Fuck, Katie!" He squirmed, but soon discovered that it only added to his discomfort. I had a handful of his balls, and no intention of letting go just yet.

"Answer me!" I demanded.

"Yes, she worked there!" Tears were springing into his eyes. Acrylic nails were a godsend. I squeezed a little bit more.

"So why did she come back then?"

"Okay! Okay! I'll tell you if you let me tackle go!" I dropped my hold, and Cook instantly skirted around me, putting distance between us. He rubbed his crotch gingerly. "Fuckin' hell, that's no way to treat a man's family jewels!"

I took a threatening step towards him and he shrank back.

"Okay! I'll tell you. Just keep those claws away from me."

And so Cook told me everything. About how mum had sacked Naomi, and Naomi had kept a grudge about it. How she had come back to the gym expressly to seduce either myself or Emily. How the whole thing had been about getting back at mum.

"And how was _that_ supposed to happen?" I asked, not sure that I really wanted to know.

"We were gonna arrange it so that Jenna would walk in on them, you know. At it. Full muff munching show for her."

I shook my head in disbelief. I'd never trusted Naomi, that was no secret. I had felt sure she was only after Emily for a bit of fun, but this? Fucking hell, that girl is one cruel bitch.

I kept threatening Cook with violence until I felt that he had probably told me everything. The threat nearly spilled over into actual violence when he told me about their bet. The cheek of it. Cook had got fifty quid from Naomi, for having got me into bed? Surely fucking me was it's own reward? My ego did not take well to people getting paid to sleep with _me_. If anything, it _should_ be the other way around. I meant that in the non-prostitute sense, of course.

I stood up to leave, before remembering that there was one more thing that I wanted to know from Cook.

"Write down Naomi's address for me" I instructed him.

* * *

Once I was back in the silence of the car, the full force of everything Cook had told me began to sink in. Emily and I had been played by the two of them from the start. For myself I was angry. But when my thoughts turned to Emily, my heart sank. I hadn't wanted more than a fling with Cook, but Emily wasn't like that. I had watched her fall deeper and deeper for Naomi. It was clear to me that she was falling in love with the bitch. Shit, I'm about to break my twin sister's heart, aren't I?

My original intention to drive straight round to Naomi's house and beat the crap out of her disappeared into nothing. As unpleasant as this was going to be, I had to see Emily first. The thought had occurred to me that she might even be with Naomi. If that was the case, I had no idea how to handle things. I snatched up my phone and dialled Emily's number.

"Hi Katie"

I don't know why, but I felt a flood of relief when I heard her voice.

"Emily! Where are you?"

"I'm at Panda's. Mum caught me with Naomi this afternoon and kicked me out."

"Yeah, that's what the bitch said she'd done. I'm coming over. See you soon." I hung up and breathed a sigh of relief. At least Emily was at Panda's and not Naomi's. It was only a small mercy though. Whichever way you cut it, I wasn't looking forward to this.

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**A/N: Okay, so I nicked a line from Notting Hill, but it made me chuckle. Only Katie could think that exchanging money for sex could ever have a non-prostitute sense!**

**Sorry that this makes two chapters in a row without Naomi. There will be Naomily interaction in the next chapter. Not saying you'll like it, though...**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: It took me a little longer than usual to post this one. It was never my intention to keep the fairly rapid updates going for this long, so they will be a bit slower from now on. I tend to get obsessed with new things, but I have probably inadvertantly convinced you all that I have no life away from this website! There is now nothing I can say to convince you that it isn't true, is there?**

**I'm a bit nervous about posting this one. I've tried to foreshadow it, but judging by the reviews no one is expecting where this is going. I considered changing it, but I decided to stick to my plan because what follows does make sense to me. If it doesn't to you here, it may after the next chapter which will be Naomi's pov.**

**Enjoy! Myrtle.**

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Chapter Twenty

Emily

"Em, I've got to tell you something. It's about Naomi..."

In that one moment, I felt like an icy cold hand had wrapped it's fingers around my heart. There was something in Katie's tone that told me that this was going to be bad. It combined with the fears I already had regarding Naomi's feelings for me.

"Just tell me, Katie" I instructed her. Katie shifted uncomfortably in her seat, before launching in to what she had to tell me.

"Naomi's just using you to get back at mum."

I breathed a little easier. Clearly Katie must have made a mistake. Naomi had nothing to do with mum, she'd never even met her before today. At least, that was what I thought. But Katie was about to shatter that belief.

"Do you remember mum telling us about that girl she caught having sex at the gym?"

I nodded. Of course I remembered. We had laughed for days about mum's horror at what she had seen.

"It was Naomi. Emily, she worked there."

"No." I shook my head. Katie _had_ to be mistaken about this. Naomi had never been to the gym before Katie and I had shown her around. But Katie was adamant.

"It was her. Mum recognised her this afternoon. I spoke to Cook..."

"Cook?" My head was spinning. This wasn't making any sense. Katie reached out to take both my hands with hers.

"Emily, Cook told me everything. Naomi worked at the gym last summer. Getting fired like that really pissed her off, apparently. Getting you into bed was just... payback."

I shook Katie's hands away and rose swiftly to my feet.

"No!" I said firmly. Denial was my only ally here. This just _couldn't_ be true. It had to be a mistake, somehow.

"Em, you know she's made a play for you from the start. They had a bet - her and Cook. Which one of them could bed one of us first."

"What?" I stared at her. Which was it? A bet or revenge? Because right now, Katie seemed to be accusing Naomi of both. This was beginning to sound rather fanciful.

"Katie, I know you've never liked her..." My sentence trailed away. The thought that Katie could make something like this up died before the words could even leave my mouth. As I looked at her, I could see how difficult she was finding it to tell me any of this. I was still holding onto the slim hope that she was wrong, but there was no way she was making this up. I slumped back down beside her.

"Tell me everything you know" I said. Katie took a deep breath.

"Her only intention when she joined the gym was to fuck one of us. Cook said she wanted to get mum back for sacking her, by 'gaying up' one of her daughters."

I snorted at that. It just sounded so ridiculous. But was it? Naomi had showered me with attention since we first met, despite the fact that I had a boyfriend. Had it all been so false from the very start? Katie continued.

"They had a bet on the side as well. Cook said _he_ won, but the first time I fucked him was at Panda's wedding, which is when you fucked..." Her sentence died in her throat as she looked guiltily over towards Panda and Thomas.

"It's okay, I told them about me and Naomi" I muttered. My mind was swimming. I was desperately re-playing every time I had spent with Naomi, looking for some clue or hint that she hadn't been manipulating me into bed from the start. Nothing presented itself in her defence. Her attentions to me had become obvious somewhere around her birthday. At the time, everything seemed to just happen so quickly, even naturally. But with fresh eyes, it all seemed a little too smooth.

"I was just a bet?" I asked. I could hear the hurt in my own voice.

"The bet was just for fun. Her real plan was to let mum catch the two of you together."

I frowned at Katie, struggling to take all of this in.

"She planned it? I got kicked out, because Naomi wanted to pay mum back for sacking her?" Katie nodded. Could this possibly be true? Could Naomi have somehow known that mum would come home early this afternoon? It seemed unlikely - mum hadn't been due back at that time. That thought immediately followed on to another one. Maybe we had been caught too early. Naomi could have intended us to be in a state of undress when mum walked in. The idea of mum seeing us doing any one of the things that we could have been doing made me shudder.

I rose once more from the sofa and paced restlessly. I was struggling to combine these two images of Naomi. If even half of what Katie was accusing her of was true, she must be one cold person. How could I reconcile that with the loving, attentive woman that I had fallen in love with?

"I have to see her" I mumbled, more to myself than to anyone else. Katie was on her feet in a flash.

"She doesn't care about you, Em..."

"I love her, Katie!" I snapped. For the first time, I heard my voice begin to crack. "I have to hear this from her!"

"Fine, I'll go with you. I've got mum's car."

"No." I didn't want anyone else there. I knew I had to see Naomi just one on one. That was how I knew her best. Those were the times that she looked at me like I was the only woman in the world. I had to see that look again to figure out if this was genuine, or if this whole thing was a lie.

* * *

I stared for a moment at the doorbell. Naomi's house was only a short bus ride from Panda's flat. I hadn't even let Katie drive me over. Somehow I knew if she came in with me or was even just waiting outside, this whole thing would be so much harder. It had taken a while to convince Katie of that, but eventually she had left, promising to call round to see me in the morning.

With my heart in my mouth, I pressed the doorbell. For a few moments, there was no sign of life. Then, the door swung open to reveal a surprised looking Naomi on the other side. For a second, a smile blazed across her face and she looked like the Naomi I knew. Then the smile slipped to be replaced by an unconcerned demeanour. She opened the door wider, and I stepped into the house. I glanced around me at the spacious hallway as Naomi closed the door. She didn't offer for us to go to her room, or even into the sitting room. The house seemed strangely quiet, with no sign of Gina or Malcolm around.

"Sorry about your mum" said Naomi, rather feebly. It brought my earlier text back to my mind. The one telling her that mum had kicked me out, and I had moved in with Panda and Thomas. So she _had_ got it. For a moment, I wanted to ask why she hadn't been in touch when she heard what happened. Then my thoughts returned to the more pressing matter of why I was there.

"I thought that was what you wanted? For my mum to catch us together like that." I did my best to keep the surge of emotions I was feeling out of my voice. I stared at Naomi as I spoke. First she frowned, unsure of my meaning. Then a look of horror dawned across her face.

"Emily, I didn't..." She stepped towards me, her arms spread wide. Then she seemed to check herself. A look of marble descended across her face. She dropped her arms and shrugged instead.

"You used me" I accused.

"You had plenty of fun too." She smirked at me, but it was the disinterested tone to her voice that hit me like a punch to the stomach.

"Fun?"

Naomi shrugged again.

"Yeah. We both had fun together. You were bored, and we..." She gestured between us with her hands. "Don't pretend it was something more, Em."

What the fuck was going on? This wasn't Naomi. This couldn't be her. I felt tears sting my eyes, as I struggled to comprehend all of this. I blinked them away. No way was I going to cry in front of her while she was behaving like this.

"This whole time - all the attention you gave me, all the time we spent together. It was all just to get at my mum?" It didn't even make sense. It _couldn't_ make sense. How could my mother, someone who surely didn't mean a thing to Naomi, be the cause of all this? Naomi's only answer was another shrug. I felt a surge of anger well up inside of me. My whole world had been turned upside-down in one day, and all she could do was shrug at me? I wanted to grab hold of her and shake this apathy out of her.

What the _fuck_!" I yelled at her. "You fucking bitch! That's all this ever was to you?" For a moment, she looked shocked at my sudden flare-up. Then her eyes dropped. I continued to stare at her, but she wouldn't meet my gaze again. She stared intently instead at her fingernails.

"It was fun." There was that word again. Fun. Right, I was having so much 'fun' watching her trample over my heart. "You knew I don't do relationships. It's not like we were dating."

"You made me think we were..." I stumbled over the end of the sentence. My anger had disappeared, replaced by a near-crippling sorrow. "You made me fall in love with you" I told her. My voice betrayed me and cracked at that moment. Naomi turned her back to me. Her shoulders hunched up, and for a moment I thought I had gotten to her. She took a deep breath, then let it out in an elongated sigh.

"I never..." She shook her head, before starting again. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry if you thought there was more to it, but that's not my fault."

I marched around her until I was facing her. As her eyes swept over my face, I saw something resembling regret flash momentarily across her face.

"You didn't mean to hurt me?" I asked, incredulous. "You arranged it so that my mother would catch us together, and you didn't think that it would have any consequences for me?"

"I didn't... I never really thought..." Once more, her shoulders performed that hateful shrug. Her voice sounded so impassive, so unmoved. Her disinterest was starkly at odds with the tidal wave of emotions I was going through. I had hoped for denials, explanations, defences - anything but this cold indifference. My shoulders sagged under the weight of what I was feeling. Suddenly, I had to get away. Being there, listening to Naomi sounding like that was tearing me apart. I took a deep, steadying breath.

"I wish I'd never met you, you cold hearted bitch" I stated, more calmly than I felt. Naomi looked stunned at my words, but I couldn't stay there a moment longer. I pushed my way past her, threw open the door and ran out of the house. I tore down the driveway, desperate to get out of sight before the tears started. When I reached the street, I stopped. A large hedge hid me from view of the house. I gasped for breath, not from the running, but from the sobs that were threatening to choke me. I sank to my knees as my grief overwhelmed me. Naomi didn't run after me. Not that I was expecting her to, but somewhere there had maybe been a small shred of hope that she would.

* * *

Eventually, I picked myself up and headed back to Panda and Thomas's flat. The journey back there passed in a daze. I just felt numb. I was hardly aware of getting on the bus, paying my fare, taking a seat. I paid no attention to the walk from the bus stop. I was no longer crying, but I must have looked in one hell of a state. I didn't care. I waved away Panda's effusive concern as she opened the door to me. I muttered some remarks to her and Thomas about how I was okay, just in need of some sleep. It was a lie, of course. I was neither okay, nor capable of sleep. I stumbled into their spare bedroom and collapsed onto the bed. The tears began again in earnest. I let them fall unchecked.

My brain began the horrifying task of replaying my conversation with Naomi. How could she act so coldly, I asked myself again and again. How could the one person who had made me feel so much, seemingly feel so little? I thought back over the things she had said tonight. Each sentence I recalled felt like an ice cube sliding into my chest. Naomi had thought what we had together was 'fun', nothing more. I desperately thought back over everything that had happened since I'd met her. Surely somewhere there was a sign in her behaviour to explain this? I couldn't have been so wrong about everything, could I? I had never felt so wretched in my life. I silently cursed Naomi, again and again.

"I hate her" I whispered to myself. I _wanted_ to hate her for what she had done. She had opened me up to so much emotion, then watched on aloofly as it crumbled around my eyes. But even in the depths of my pain, I knew it wasn't true. I couldn't hate her. Not yet, anyway. Maybe hate would follow, but right now I was still far too much in love with that frosty, unfeeling bitch.

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**A/N: I may regret asking this, but please let me know what you think! (The 'caps lock' button is usually found on the left of the keyboard)**

**Next update will be whenever the whirligig that is my social life eases up enough to... oh, who am I kidding.**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: So, after being diagnosed 6 months ago with attention deficit disorder, today was my first day with medication for it. That's pretty quick, considering that it took me a year and a half to get to see an adult AD/HD specialist in the first place! And just to add to the AD/HD cliche of hyperactive boys, the leaflet with the medication states that it may be dangerous to climb trees whilst taking it. That's my weekend plans scuppered, then. ****I'm not sure what - if any - effect the meds will have on updating this story, since I write this when I'm supposed to be concentrating on other things! Rest assured though, I am still intending to carry on with it. **

**I was really blown away by the response to the last chapter - I certainly didn't expect to get that many reviews. Thanks once again to everyone who takes the time to comment. There is plenty I could say about this chapter, but I will try to reign in my tendancy to over-explain. I hope you get what I'm trying to put across here.**

**Enjoy! Myrtle.**

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Chapter Twenty One

Naomi

I was lying listlessly on my bed. I had been lying there without much movement for the last fourteen hours and twenty seven minutes. Ever since Emily left, yesterday evening. I stumbled up here, collapsed onto my bed and didn't move again for the rest of the night. I think I had some sleep, but I don't know how much. My stomach feels like it's been swapped for a cement mixer, constantly churning.

It began when I was with Emily yesterday afternoon. She said that tiny, four letter word. And yes, I know that she didn't even say that she loved me - but it made me realise for the first time how deep her feelings were starting to get. I had never intended for that to happen. We were just having a bit of fun, nothing serious. Maybe it was my error. Ordinarily, I would have bailed out long ago. I no longer had any intention of using her to get at Jenna, so why was I still seeing her? The truth was that I liked being with Emily. I wasn't ready yet for her to not be around. That doesn't mean I see fat grandchildren in the offing with her though, does it?

Then before I even had a chance to process any of that, what happened? Jenna thundercunting Fitch, that's what. Blazing into the room like she owned the place. Well okay she does, but that's not the point. And I just knew that it was going to be bad for Emily. It's ridiculous, really. When I first hatched my plan, I never really thought about what any consequences for Emily might be. She was just some faceless spawn of the devil-woman to me. Until I actually met her, that is. Once I got to know her, it occurred to me that my plan might be rather cruel to her.

Pretty fucking ironic then, that after deciding not to go through with it, Jenna came home early and caught us together anyway. Leaving me feeling overwhelmed with guilt. How crazy is that? It's not like it was my fucking fault, but I still felt guilty. Instead of basking in imagining Jenna's probable hissy fit, I found myself only able to think about what Emily must be going through. What the fuck is that about then? I shouldn't give a shit about that. Why does Emily do this to me? I feel so fucking out of control around her. I'm always the one in control, that's just how it is with me. I do the chasing, I say when things end... that's the way I've always been.

When Emily's text message came through telling me that Jenna had kicked her out, I found myself switching off my mobile. Tears stung the backs of my eyes, but I blinked them away. No way should I reproach myself for this. It's not my fault that Jenna is an award winning super bitch. If that's how she behaves towards anything that doesn't conform to her narrow view of 'normal', why should _I_ feel contrition?

Next thing I know, Emily showed up. There I was, having a quiet evening in alone while Malcolm took mum out for the night. Not that I was really enjoying my night. The silent house seemed to be taunting me with everything I didn't want to think about. And suddenly there on my doorstep was Emily. I resolved to be a little more reserved with her. To quietly retrace my steps back from the intimacy we had unintentionally reached. That didn't go quite according to plan. Because Emily knew. Not just that I had worked at the gym - she knew what my entire plan had been from the beginning. And she was there to confront me with it all.

Everything that I had been trying so hard not to think about slapped me in the face all at once. I felt trapped, and scared and so fucking guilty. There was Emily, acting like I owed her something. Thinking that I had done the things that I had decided not to. Backing me into a corner over everything that had happened. So I acted like I didn't give a shit. Because I didn't. Give a shit, that is. About her. This wasn't real, any of it. I didn't _make_ her fall in love with me! Fuck, I can't believe she said that. I felt the tears springing into my eyes again when I heard how fragile she sounded as she said that. I turned my back to stop myself from showing her how affected I was by that. Because of course I wasn't as indifferent as I acted! Things had just spiralled out of my control, that's all. She thought we were becoming something... fuck, I don't know. Something _more_, I guess. So I let her think the worst about me. It's like ripping an elastoplast off, right? The quicker it's done the better. The sooner I was away from Emily, the sooner I would start feeling like my old self again.

Still fucking waiting for that though. Fourteen hours and... thirty eight minutes later, I still feel like I've been force fed a bowl of shit. I keep remembering the pain in Emily's eyes when she fired her parting shot at me.

"I wish I'd never met you, you cold hearted bitch".

It tore straight through me. I could see how much I had hurt her, and the pain it gave me was excruciating. It was all I could do to stop myself following her straight out the door. I hated myself for doing that to her. Oh, for fuck's sake! How is it _my_ fault that she fell in love?

I was torn from the endless parade of emotions by the sound of my mother shouting up the stairs.

"Naomi, Emily's here to see you."

For the first fraction of a second, everything was forgotten and I felt a flash of excitement at seeing Emily again. I threw myself from my bed with more animation than I had managed so far today. But before I even opened the door, remembrance settled back in it's place. I knew that Emily was probably only here to have another go at me. I stepped out onto the landing to be confronted with the sight of a very pissed off looking Katie marching up the stairs towards me. 'Wrong twin' was the first thought through my mind. The second thought was simply 'ow,' as Katie's right fist connected sharply with my nose. She caught me off guard and off balance. I fell to the floor like a sack of shit.

"YOU FUCKING COW!" She bellowed down at me. I heard footsteps on the stairs, before my mum's head appeared over Katie's shoulder. She stopped halfway up the stairs, frowning at the sight in front of her. I took one look at the fuming Katie standing over me and decided it was safer to remain where I was on the floor.

"You completely fucked her up!"

"Katie, I didn't..." I had nothing. My sentence trailed away as I realised there was nothing I could say that could possibly pacify her.

"You're a total bitch, Naomi. Emily's fucking heart-broken because of you!"

I couldn't look at her. I stared at the floor, gingerly pressing my nose to find out if it was bleeding. Fuck me, that girl knows how to throw a punch. Katie hadn't finished.

"You used her! Just because mum sacked you? Boo fucking hoo! That wasn't Emily's fault. Fucking, grow up Naomi!"

I stared past Katie, to see mum's frown grow darker as she took in Katie's words. I found looking at mum no easier than looking at Katie, so I went back to studying the carpet.

"You broke her" said Katie, her voice suddenly much quieter. "She's not like you. Emily really _feels_ things. She really fell for you, and you fucking _broke_ her!"

There it was. The truth. I knew Katie was right, I'd seen the evidence of it last night, much as I tried to deny it to myself. Emily was in pain, and it _was_ my fault.

"If you _ever_ go near my family again..." Katie leaned over me, her nose almost touching my swollen one. "...I will rip your fucking face off." She straightened up, span around and sashayed down the stairs, ignoring my very startled looking mother.

I rose slowly to my feet, my movements feeling sluggish.

"What's going on?" asked my mother, her voice sounding sharp. "I take it that wasn't Emily?" I gently shook my head.

"No, that was Katie, her twin."

"Is she right? Were you just using Emily?" I didn't answer, I just returned my attention once again to the oh-so-fascinating hall carpet. Mum took that as her answer.

"How could you be so cruel?" She snapped. What the fuck was this? Some kind of Katie/Gina tag team? I really wasn't up for my mother getting in on the act of having a go at me. All the emotions I had tried so hard to suppress came fizzing out of me in a black rage. I hated this guilt. I wanted it all to be someone else's fault.

"What the fuck else am I supposed to be, with you as my mother!" I yelled. Mum's jaw dropped and her eyes narrowed. "You kicked my dad out 'cause he wasn't good enough for you - didn't earn enough. Then you got your claws into Malcolm!" My cheeks felt cold, and I realised that this time the tears were falling freely. I wiped them away. I felt as if everything was crushing in on me all at once. My guilt, my fear, the pain I had caused Emily. I wanted to get away from it all. I wanted to run until I didn't feel this way anymore. I ran down the stairs towards the front door. Mum was hot on her heels after me.

"Naomi, stop right there!" She called. No chance. I opened the front door, just as she drew level with me. She reached across me and slammed it shut out of my grasp. "Don't you fucking _dare_ leave this house, young lady!"

That stopped me in my tracks. I hadn't heard mum swear like that in a long time. She always used to, but Malcolm thought swearing was unladylike, so mum had cut it out. It never fucking stopped me, though. When mum saw that she had my attention, her tone grew softer.

"We're going to have a proper conversation about this. Get in that kitchen." I hesitated, still wanting to bolt from the house. "Kitchen. Now!" Mum ordered. Feeling like a naughty child, I sulked my way into the kitchen with mum following behind me. I slumped into a chair and watched as she calmly made a pot of tea. Once we each had a mug in front of us, mum began in a quiet voice.

"I didn't kick your father out."

I made a scoffing noise at that. Mum glared at me. I shrugged to let her know she could continue.

"I didn't. Your father may have been a useless waste of space..." I rolled my eyes. Mum just ignored me. "...but I loved him. I came home from work one day and he was gone. Naomi, he took _everything. _All our savings, my jewellery... everything."

I fixed a scowl to my face and crossed my arms. She was going to have to do better than this to convince me. Mum glanced at my cold body language.

"Who told you I kicked him out?" She asked. I hesitated before answering.

"Grandma" I answered at last.

"What! Since when did you listen to that old witch?"

I only shrugged. Mum's relationship with her mother had never been great. Neither had mine, come to that. I had often called her an old witch - or something more colourful - myself. Mum sighed and took a mouthful of her tea before continuing.

"Naomi, he left. Without saying a word."

"He wouldn't... he wouldn't leave me." I cursed myself for how small my voice sounded. Mum reached her hands across the table to cover mine that were cradling my mug. She smiled gently at me.

"Naomi, it wasn't your fault he left. He was just a shitty little prick who couldn't appreciate what a lovely daughter he had."

"But grandma said you kicked him out. That he wasn't good enough for you." I shook my hands out of her grasp and hastily rubbed my eyes. I was determined no more tears were going to fall. Mum gave me a rye smile and rolled her eyes.

"Naomi, you know what she's like. She blamed me for him leaving - said I didn't look after him well enough. She's always been so... _sexist_. She thinks a woman should do everything for her man. Keep the house clean, cook his dinner. It didn't matter to her that I was working every hour I could while your father lazed around, not looking for a job. Not lifting a finger to help around the house." She sighed to herself at the effort of remembering. "I hated having to borrow money from her when he left, but your father left me no choice. She gave me the guilt trip for that, I can tell you."

I gazed up at mum and for the first time in a long time, I saw a sadness in her eyes. I felt torn. On the one hand was my long held belief that my father had been kicked out. On the other - what mum was telling me now. I didn't want to believe it, but in actuality my doubts had been in place for a long time. This certainly explained why my father had made no effort to contact me over the years. I had let myself believe that my mum had stopped him somehow. But he could have found a way if he had really wanted me in his life. If I was completely honest with myself, I had wanted to believe that mum was the bad guy in all of this. That I was the victim of a cruel mother. I wasn't quite ready to let that go yet.

"You married Malcolm for his money" I accused. Mum's face clouded over, and her gaze dropped to the table. She took a deep, steadying breath.

"I was heartbroken when your father left. If it hadn't been for you, I might have crawled into a deep hole and let the world get along without me." She shook her head softly. "But I couldn't. I had to carry on, for your sake. But it changed me - it toughened me up. I decided I wasn't going to let anyone take advantage of me again." She sighed, and rose to her feet, scraping her chair back along the floor. She took our mugs over to the counter and topped them up with her back to me. It felt like she didn't want to meet my eyes. "I'm not proud of it, Naomi. I resolved that I was never getting involved with another wastrel again. I only went out with men that had money, and a fixed job." She turned around to face me at last, and I saw that her eyes were full of unshed tears. "I felt guilty - I'd let you down badly. So I wanted a man who would make a decent father to you. Then eventually I met Malcolm, and I..." A small smile spread across her face as she stared into the middle distance. Then she broke herself out of it and looked me in the eyes again. "I do love him, you know. It may have started for the wrong reasons, but I soon fell in love with him. _That's_ why I married him." Mum brought our mugs back to the table and sat back down with a sigh. "I still felt guilty though" she continued. "I always have - my mother is the queen of the guilt trip. So I suppose I made some mistakes, with you." She reached up and stroked a gentle hand over my hair. For once, I reigned in the urge to shake her away. "I've spoilt you. Let you get away with too much, let you have everything you wanted."

"Huh! Until last year!" I argued. "Remember telling me I wouldn't get anything more?"

"Your car runs on fairy dust, does it?" She asked, with a sarcastic smile. "You knew I didn't mean that! People say things in arguments, Naomi. You've still had whatever you've asked for!"

I stared down at the table in front of me, the urge to quarrel drifting away. This was a lot to take in. I was a long way from being convinced by this, but I was willing to admit that I may have been wrong. I placed a hand cautiously to my nose again. I had been wrong about Katie, after all. I had told myself that she was shallow and only cared about herself. Clearly, she cared fiercely about Emily. This whole time, all of her suspicion about me - it wasn't for fear that I would 'gay up' Emily. It was for fear that I would hurt Emily. And her fears had been right. Mum watched my movements carefully.

"So. Tell me about this mess you've made with Emily" she asked. Her words brought fresh tears to my eyes, but this time I didn't try to stop them.

"I fucked it up, mum. I was awful to her and she didn't deserve it." I nearly choked over my own words. I had been trying to convince myself that I wasn't at fault, that I shouldn't be feeling guilty. It hadn't worked for one simple reason: it _was_ my fault. The guilt belonged to me and no-one else. I had been the cause of so much pain to the loveliest person I had ever met. I had told myself again and again throughout last night that I didn't care. That wasn't true either. Without even realising it, I had grown to care about Emily. I was the cause of her broken heart, and the thought of that was tearing me up.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: My pop-tart was burnt to a crisp today. Fracking toaster.**

**Okay, not the most relevant author's note - I just felt like sharing. Shall we crack on? Lets. Enjoy!**

**Myrtle**

* * *

Chapter Twenty Two

Emily

Days had drifted past. I wasn't really sure how many - there was no need to count them. I had cried more tears than I ever felt possible over Naomi's betrayal. I felt like I was going out of my mind. I kept replaying every detail of our - for want of a better word, I'll call it a relationship - trying to make sense of it all. At times I was convinced that everything I felt for Naomi and thought she felt for me had been real. That she had let herself fall in love with me in spite of her initial plan. But then I remembered her cold detachment when I confronted her with everything. If she felt anything for me, surely she couldn't have acted like that. Surely she couldn't have just stood there watching, while she smashed my heart to pieces.

I hadn't bothered going in to work since then. If mum didn't want me living in her house, I had no intention of working for her either. So I had lolled around Thomas and Panda's flat, unable to distract myself from the constant barrage of emotions currently assaulting my mind. Nothing worked. I tried reading, watching TV - I couldn't concentrate on anything. My mind leapt from one thing to the next, until inexorably settling once more on Naomi and the pain she had caused me. All else was a passing diversion at best.

I was currently trying yet again to glean some kind of amusement from the TV. Something called 'Loose Women' was on. It seemed to involve four women shouting at each other about getting drunk and having babies. Presumably not at the same time, but then again maybe that's why they were shouting - I wasn't really watching it. I wondered vaguely why I had it on. When their voices raised to an irritatingly shrill level, I switched over to the other side. Perfect: Jeremy Kyle. I snapped the TV off in distain. I sighed to myself and snatched up a magazine that I had discarded ten minutes ago. I flicked through it again, but no articles caught my attention so I returned it to the coffee table.

The front door opened and Panda bounded into the room clutching a paper bag. When she saw me sat on the sofa, she held the bag aloft like it was the worlds greatest treasure.

"Comfort food!" She announced, dropping the bag onto the coffee table. She disappeared into the kitchen, returning moments later with a plate. She opened the bag and began piling doughnuts onto the plate. Lots of sticky, iced American style doughnuts. "They'll make you feel better" she said. At least I think that's what she said. Panda had already taken a huge bite out of a large pink doughnut, and it was difficult to understand what she said. I gave her a small smile, and bit into a doughnut of my own. It wasn't going to make me feel better, but it wouldn't hurt. I had already made my own reasonable attempts at comfort eating. A tub of Ben and Jerry's ice-cream had mysteriously vanished from the freezer the day before. Twenty one years with a fitness instructor for a dad and a terrible cook for a mother had stood me in good stead - I didn't have to worry about my figure going squidgy just yet.

We were each on to our second doughnut when there was a knock at the door. Panda went to answer it, and returned the next moment followed by Katie and my Dad. I stood up and gave each of them a hug. My dad had been round to see me since I left home, so I knew he was okay with me over everything that had happened. Last time he had left promising to 'talk some sense' into mum, but I didn't have much hope of his success.

"Come 'ome, love" was his opening gambit.

"I can't, dad. Mum won't let me" I said sadly.

"She will. She's seen sense now. She said it herself - you can come home."

I frowned at this sudden unexpected change of events. I glanced at Katie for confirmation and she nodded at me. I wasn't convinced. After everything mum had said to me, it seemed unlikely that she suddenly was able to welcome me back to the fold just a few days later.

"At least talk to her!" I could hear the desperation in dad's voice. My heart went out to him. This whole situation had left him feeling torn between his daughter and his wife. It may not be me doing the tearing, but for his sake I was at least willing to hear mum out.

"Okay" I said with a sigh. "I'll see what she has to say, but I'm not promising that I'm moving back."

Dad beamed at me. I grabbed my coat and put my shoes on while Katie and Dad exchanged a few pleasantries with Panda. In no time at all I was in the car making my way back to the place I no longer felt able to call home. I hoped with all my heart that it wouldn't continue to be like that, but I really didn't know what to expect when I saw mum.

* * *

It was with a definite sense of anticipation and dread that I walked into the sitting room. Mum was sat as straight-backed as ever, in the same chair she occupied when I left. For a fleeting moment, I imagined that she hadn't moved a muscle since. Stupefied for the last week by the knowledge of maybe having a gay daughter. As she turned her head to look at me, I gave her a small smile. Her thin lips didn't return it. Instead, she smoothed down her already immaculate skirt and slowly rose to her feet. Dad and Katie had followed me into the room. Katie gently slipped her hand into mine. I felt comforted by the contact, so I squeezed her hand to let her know. I stood there silently, waiting for my mother to say something. I sure as fuck wasn't going to break the silence. Let it make her feel uncomfortable - I knew I had nothing to reproach myself with. Eventually it must have gotten to her, especially with the three of us staring at her waiting. She cleared her throat.

"Your... your father wants you to come home."

"Just dad?" I asked, having no intention of making this easy for her. She coughed awkwardly again.

"Well, Katie explained everything to me."

This wasn't new information. Katie had told me that she had tried everything to get mum to see reason. She had told her all about my broken heart. I desperately wished that she hadn't, but Katie was adamant that it would get through to mum. To me, it felt as though mum had secret knowledge of my weakness. How screwed up is that? I'm referring to a discussion with my mother like we're negotiating the Treaty of Versailles! Mum continued:

"How that _Naomi..._" She said her name like it tasted disgusting to her. "...Was to blame. She seduced you, and made you think you were..."

"She didn't seduce me!" I snapped. Anger rose like bile in my throat as I realised why mum had decided to let me back. "She didn't _make_ me think anything! Okay, my relationship with her is fucked..." Mum gasped in shock.

"Emily! Language!"

Even in the midst of all this, she still sought to check my language. I ignored her and carried on.

"...But that doesn't mean I'm going to toddle off back to the land of hetro's! I'm fucking GAY, mum. Deal with it!" To be perfectly honest I hadn't yet actually reached that decision about myself - I was far from ready to think about any kind of relationship after Naomi, let alone whether it would be with a man or a woman - but I saw no reason to split hairs about that with mum. She shook her head sadly, like she was looking at someone with dementia.

"You're not gay, Emily. I'm your mother - I know you."

"Shove it up your tits!" I yelled, before storming out of the house, closely followed by Katie. "God! I knew she wouldn't... I thought she..." Katie wrapped her arms protectively around me as the end of my sentence dissolved in tears. I cried once more for everything that I'd lost over the last few days: my home, my mother, Naomi. I clung to Katie as my lifeline in a sea of turbulence. She whispered words of comfort in my ear, and waited patiently until my tears subsided. As I stopped crying, I became aware of raised voices from inside the house. It seemed dad had finally found his spine, and was having a go at mum. I felt grateful to him, but I didn't want to stick around for the outcome.

"Come on. I'll drive you back to Panda's" said Katie.

"There's some stuff I want from my room. Can you get it for me? I don't want to go back in there."

Katie nodded, so I described to her what I wanted and where it was. She gave me the keys to mum's car, and I went to wait in it for her return.

* * *

"What is this stuff anyway?" Asked Katie. We were back at Panda's, and I was feeling a little calmer - with the help of another doughnut, thrust on me by Panda. Katie was flicking through the papers I had asked her to collect from home.

"College brochures. I applied for that photography course I told you about. There's a place for me if I want it." I hadn't told anyone that I'd applied for it. Not even Naomi, and it was her words that urged me to submit the application. I had felt sure that my path was planned out for me by mum and dad and there was nothing I could do about it, but the last few weeks had turned everything on it's head for me. Naomi had made me feel so much more able to take control of my own life. I still hadn't been sure, though. Even when I applied I hadn't decided if I would definitely go. I never wanted to upset mum and dad. But mum's actions had pissed all that out the window, and I was now certain that it would be great for me. For me, and no-one else. It felt refreshing to have something like that to look forward to.

"Where is it?" Asked Katie, reminding me of the one regret I would have about doing the course.

"London. It's only a couple of hours drive away. Probably even less on the train."

Katie looked a little crestfallen, but she only nodded without saying anything. I was about to ask her if she was okay about it, but she quickly changed the subject.

"Right. We'd better get ready" she said, rising to her feet and clapping her hands together.

"What for?"

"We're all going out tonight." She held a hand up to silence my protest before the words were even out of my mouth. "No arguments Em. You need it, okay? I brought a _killer_ outfit for you from home." I rolled my eyes at her. So that's why she took so long to leave the house earlier. I tried my best to get out of it. A night out was the last thing I wanted. I much preferred my own idea of slouching at Panda's flat in my pyjama's, crying over soppy films. Besides, I knew Katie considered nothing in my wardrobe to be 'killer'. I had no intention of going out looking like Katie, spilling out of one of her dresses. My dissent fell on deaf ears. Katie's mind was made up and the night out was all arranged.

* * *

Some time later, and I was respectably hammered. Our usual group of Freddie, Panda, Thomas, Effy, JJ and myself and Katie were dancing away in a sweaty club. I had to admit, I was feeling marginally better and wondering why I hadn't considered drinking away my pain before. Was there anything better than alcohol, as a temporary solution? That, and drugs. Effy had produced some small white tablets earlier in the evening, and I had gladly partaken. The buzz was currently coursing through my veins.

I had let Katie tell me what to wear, and I was pleasantly surprised with the results. I was wearing a black, strappy dress. It was revealing, but not too revealing, tight, but not too tight. For once, Katie had just about got it right. I felt pretty good in it, and was still aware enough of my surroundings to know that I had gotten my fair share of appreciative looks. As I danced with Katie, I felt a pair of arms sliding gently over mine from behind. I glanced down at them. Strong arms - male arms. Before I had a chance to think, he pulled me back into his embrace, grinding his body into mine. For a second I froze. It just didn't feel right. Then I got my brain in gear and slipped myself carefully out of his hold. I flashed him a 'sorry, not interested' smile, before heading towards the bar. He shrugged, and began grinding into Katie instead.

I bought another drink, simply to have something to do. I was probably already drunk enough. I sighed to myself as I thought about how wrong it had felt with that guy's arms around me. It wasn't so much that it felt wrong because it was a man. I knew it felt wrong because it wasn't Naomi. Everything, every single sensation was now compared to how it felt with Naomi. And nothing could live up to that. Inevitably, my mind had gone back to her. No matter how drunk or how high I got, I couldn't escape her for long. She was _everywhere_ in my head. I _saw_ her everywhere. There was a stunning blonde girl across the room that looked exactly like her.

Shit! I realised with a jolt that my mind wasn't playing tricks on me. The blonde girl that looked just like Naomi was in fact, actually Naomi. I really didn't feel strong enough to see her. I turned on my - or rather Katie's - ridiculously high heels, and started to move. I had no idea where I was heading, just _away_. I hadn't got too far, when I heard Naomi's voice behind me, calling my name. She must have been close by for her voice to carry above the music. Desperately I hurried into the loos, before cursing my own stupidity. Of course she could follow me in there. Naomi did just that. I steeled myself to turn and face her. She looked different, somehow. Less sure of herself.

"Emily" she said breathlessly. I closed my eyes, hating the sound of my name coming from those cruel lips. When I opened them, she looked dejected. "I'm sorry." It came out as no more than a mumble.

"Sorry?" I summoned all of my incredulity for the word. She bit her lip and looked more anxious than I had ever seen her.

"I was... selfish, I never meant..."

Tears stung the backs of my eyes, but I blinked them away as I had done once before in her presence. She moved closer to me. I tried to back away, but there was nowhere else to go. She tugged on my arm and before I knew it I was inside a cubicle with her, the door already locked.

"Open the door" I insisted, but even to me my voice sounded weak.

"No, not until you listen." She placed her hands on my upper arms, as if to shake me but her touch was gentle. She stepped closer, until I could breath her scent in. It filled my senses, clogging my mind with her, nothing but her. "I'm so sorry I hurt you." Her voice was little more than a whisper. In spite of myself, I leaned closer to catch her words. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" she muttered again and again, in between pressing soft kisses to my forehead and temple. I knew I shouldn't be there with her, but it felt so amazing to feel her so close to me once more. Without really knowing what I was doing, I pulled her into me. Her lips sought out mine, before they met in a frenzied kiss, her tongue slipping straight into my waiting mouth. My hands wandered over every inch of her skin that I could reach. I felt her hands doing likewise. It wasn't enough. My hands slipped under her top, scratching against her back then her stomach. I felt her hands on my thighs and became vaguely aware of my dress being pulled up. I kissed my way roughly down her neck, before concentrating on her pulse point. I groaned as her thigh pressed firmly between my legs. God I wanted her. I bit down hard where her neck met her shoulder, and heard her sharp intake of breath.

Suddenly, I felt like a light popped on in my head, clearing the fog that was Naomi just enough for me to realise what I was doing. Yes I wanted her, but what then? I knew I would feel like shit in the morning if I let this happen. Part of me argued that that's the morning, this was now. I wanted so much to listen to it and lose myself in Naomi, but I couldn't. From somewhere within me I found strength to resist her. I pushed her off me more roughly than I intended. Her back slammed hard against the opposite wall of the cubicle. I regretted it, but I couldn't stay any longer. I straightened out my clothing, unlocked the cubicle and slipped out without another word.

I hadn't walked very far from the toilets when Katie accosted me.

"Panda said she saw Naomi. Are you..." Her eyes drifted to a point somewhere behind me. I knew Naomi must have followed me out and was now being glared at by Katie. Katie's eyes narrowed.

"I fucking warned that bitch" she muttered as she pushed her way past me.

"Katie, don't!" I grabbed her wrist to stop her advance on Naomi. I hated the idea of her fighting Naomi. Feeling me tugging on her, Katie span round to face me.

"No, Emily! I warned her not to..." Katie's eyes dropped to my hand that still encircled her wrist. Her top lip curled in disgust. "Urgh! God Emily, that hand better not have been where I think it's been!"

I dropped her wrist and sighed.

"No, we didn't..." I gave another sigh and closed my eyes. "Please, just leave it. Okay? For me?"

Katie was not to be easily placated. Fortunately, Naomi had enough sense to fuck off. While Katie was arguing with me, Naomi quietly slipped into the thronging mass of people on the dance floor. I turned to go find Panda. All I wanted to do was to go home, crawl into bed and forget that this whole fucking night ever happened.

* * *

**A/N: Apologies for those of you hoping that the scene in the cubicle would get 'fruity' (you know who you are), but I've never yet been in club toilets that I felt like fucking in!**

**Let me know what you think!**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: ****So AssassinsLover has decided that there aren't enough lesbian pirates in the world, and who among us can argue with that? I highly reccommend her complete story 'Smoke, Steel and Salt' for great piratey fun. If you haven't already read it, go do so. You won't regret it. **

**I have been finding the love for gen 1 after treating myself to the boxset (and after getting distracted by gen 2 for a bit first). Cassie is just breaking my heart. I've only watched series 1 so far - not sure about the end of series sing-along, but never mind - and I'll be starting on series 2 soon. Anyway, a line from Cook in this chapter has a nod to Sid.**

**Hope you enjoy! Myrtle**

* * *

Chapter Twenty Three

Naomi

I gradually struggled back to consciousness. It had been a heavy night. I carefully opened my eyes to be greeted with the familiar sight of my alarm clock. It was not long after ten. Not even nearly time to get up yet. I snuggled further under the duvet, before freezing as I heard the sound of breathing that definitely wasn't coming from me. I tried desperately to piece together the events of the night before. I remembered seeing Emily at the club we went to, but I also remembered her walking away from me. Then... it got a little fuzzy somewhere after that. I had felt pretty upset after my dismal attempt to apologise to Emily, so I had made the oh-so-clever decision to drown my sorrows. And now it seemed that I may have pulled. Shit, I just hoped Emily hadn't been around to see that. Why am I always such a stupid fuck?

I stretched out my limbs until my foot found some resistance. It was a leg. Not my leg, I had shaved mine recently. Shit, that really was a hairy leg. Who the fuck had I pulled last night? It was time to face the music. I slid over on my side to face the offending yeti. I let out a huge sigh of relief as I took in the grinning face of Cook lying in my bed next to me.

"Playing footsie now, are we?" He asked with a wink. I withdrew my foot from his leg and slapped his arm.

"I thought I'd pulled" I explained.

"In the state you were in last night? I don't think so! You got yourself in a right state after seeing Emilio. I came back with you just to make sure you got home alright."

I smiled gratefully at him. Cook pretended not to care about anything, but he always kept an eye on me to make sure I was okay.

"I was just surprised to see her, that's all. What are the chances of us all ending up in the same club like that?" As I took in Cook's suddenly guilty expression, I realised that chance had nothing to do with it. No wonder he had been so insistent on us going out last night. "Cook!" He held his hands up in surrender.

"What? I'm sorry, okay? But you've been moping around ever since it all went tits up with her. Panda said that they were all going out, so I thought maybe if you saw her..."

"I wasn't moping!" Okay, maybe there had been marginal mopage, but he still shouldn't have done it.

"Naomi, you were moping. I've never seen you like this over anyone. Red's really got to you, hasn't she?" His tone wasn't mocking or accusing, just concerned. I opened my mouth to protest, but there didn't seem any point. Instead I nodded gently. It was the truth, after all.

"I really like her, and I fucked it all up." Those bald facts hung in the air between us, stifling me. I tried to deflect what I was feeling. "But you really helped with the fucking up. You told Katie everything, didn't you?"

"She tried to repossess my bollocks!" He protested.

"She's half your size! You just spilled everything to her - she didn't really have to do anything." As I railed at him, Cook had the decency to look guilty.

"Naomi, I felt bad" he said sheepishly. "Jenna's a cunt, but our plan was really fucked up."

"I wasn't going to go through with it!" I argued, but I was feeling very uncertain of myself. I had decided not to go through with the plan, but that didn't make me blameless.

"I tried ringing you after Katie left to warn you, but I couldn't get through."

I sighed to myself as I remembered the day it had all happened. I had switched my phone off because I felt guilty that Emily had been kicked out.

I cast a discreet glance down under the duvet to make sure I had managed to don my pyjamas last night, before sliding myself out of bed. I grabbed a cleansing wipe, stood in front of the mirror and started to remove last night's make-up. I watched as the bruise that Katie had given me re-emerged from under my concealer. It had faded almost to nothing by now, but what she said had left a different kind of mark. 'You broke her'. My throat felt tight as I recalled those words. My eyes drifted to the angry red hickey currently residing at the base of my neck. Emily had done that and the memory of it pained me. Don't get me wrong: I'm certainly not averse to the odd love bite, given or received. But this one felt different somehow. Emily had been angry. It was more like a hate bite than a love bite.

It had never been my intention to behave like I did last night with Emily. I had only wanted to talk to her, to apologise for everything I'd done. But being that close to her, able to breath in the very scent of her made me realise how much I had missed her over the last few days. So, as I so often had done before, I let myself be ruled by a rush of blood to the er, well. It wasn't my _head_ that the blood was rushing to. If I was honest with myself, I was glad Emily had stopped me. I've had a lot of random fucks in a lot of skanky places, but it's never once been like that with Emily. It's always meant something. I may not have admitted that to myself before now, but sex with Emily had never been _just_ sex.

"Breakfast?" I asked Cook. He nodded, climbed out of bed and pulled on his clothes from the night before. The two of us ambled down into the kitchen, where my mother was sat at the table, a cup of tea in hand. As we walked in, she glanced up and smiled at us both.

"Hi love. Oh, hi Cook." She stood up and set the coffee percolator away for us. "I thought you were making too much noise last night to be on your own." Cook burst out laughing.

"Believe me Gina, most of that noise came from your daughter. She was wasted last night."

"I thought you'd pulled" mum said, looking at me. Then her eyes drifted down to the mark on my neck. "Oh, I see that you did. Did she help you forget how badly you treated Emily?" Her tone was brisk, mildly accusing. She bustled about the kitchen retrieving mugs from the cupboard. I sank into a chair and watched Cook do likewise.

"It _was_ Emily" I said quietly. Mum span around to face me, a smile etched across her face. My eyes slipped from hers and stared fixedly at the table.

"She forgave you?"

"No. I went to apologise to her, and we accidentally..." I sighed, unsure how best to explain. "Anyway, she left. Wouldn't listen to me." I looked back up to see mum smiling softly at me.

"Then try harder."

"Mum, she hates me." My voice came out barely above a pathetic whimper. Cook scoffed, and mum gently shook her head.

"I'm sure she goes around giving love-bites to everyone she hates." She frowned suddenly. "Do people still call them love-bites?" Right, because _that_ was the point to focus on. She shook her head, as if clearing the sudden thought away. "Anyway, the point is that she hates what you did, but she doesn't hate _you_."

I stared at the table again, as if willing it to provide some solution. Mum certainly had a point. It wasn't just me that had got carried away last night - the evidence was on my neck. Emily clearly had strong feelings for me, but I wasn't sure that she would ever be able to forgive me. I at least wanted to try though. I owed her that much.

* * *

After a much needed shower I got dressed and drove over to Panda's flat. I dropped Cook off at his place on the way. He offered to come with me for moral support, but I decided that I was better off going alone. I took a last glance at my appearance in the rear-view mirror. The plaid shirt that I had chosen to wear had a collar that completely covered the hickey. At first I had considered wearing a low necked top that would show it off. I figured if Emily saw what she had done it may make her feel a little guilty. I dismissed the idea almost immediately afterwards. I had played enough games - Emily didn't deserve a guilt trip from me.

Deciding that there was no time like the present, I got out the car. I grabbed the bunch of flowers that I had bought on route - another reason I didn't want Cook with me. I could do without him pissing himself laughing at me, telling me I'd gone soft. I walked towards the flat and rang the doorbell. After a moment or two, the door opened to reveal a beaming Panda. Her smile fell from her face the second she saw me.

"Oh."

The door slammed shut in my face. Before I even had time to think, it had been wrenched open again. A now rather startled looking Panda stared back at me.

"I'm not sure she wants to see you."

I bit my bottom lip nervously.

"Panda, please. I just want to apologise to her." I looked pleadingly at her as I saw her begin to relent. "I'm not here to upset her."

"You better not because Thomo's here, and if you do, he'll..." She scrunched her left hand into a fist and slammed it threateningly into her right palm. I bit back a laugh at her threat. I had only met Thomas a couple of times, but he was clearly as soft as clarts and would never hit a woman. Instead, I just nodded. Seemingly appeased by this, Panda swung the door wide for me to enter. Not without trepidation, I stepped inside.

Emily was sat on the sofa. Her face went stony the second she saw me. Panda grabbed Thomas's hand and led him out of the room somewhere. I stepped closer to Emily and held the flowers out to her. When she didn't take them from me, I dropped them carefully onto the coffee table in front of her. Clearly she wasn't going to make this easy for me, but she hadn't told me to fuck off yet. Got to be a plus, right? I realised that she was waiting for me to speak, so I took a deep breath.

"I came to apologise."

"You said sorry last night." Her voice was controlled, showing no emotion.

"I know, but I... I wanted to explain."

"Explain?" She was calm, almost threateningly so. In some ways, it might have been easier if she was yelling at me. "Explain why you used me, just to get at my mother?"

"No, I didn't ... I mean, I meant to... I wasn't, I..." Fuck, this was hard. Pick a fucking sentence and go with it, Naomi! I took another deep breath and tried again. At least if Emily was going to sit calmly, it might mean that she was willing to hear me out. "I wasn't going to go through with it. I'd changed my mind by then." Emily let out a scornful laugh at that, but she still didn't say anything so I carried on. "I didn't know your mum was going to walk in that day, how could I?" I asked desperately. At last, Emily spoke.

"I came round to see you to ask you for an explanation. Why didn't you tell me this then? You just stood there and said it was all a bit of fun."

"I know, I was scared! I just felt..." Words failed me again. I cursed myself for not being able to form a proper sentence about this. Emily shook her head sadly.

"Naomi, just go. I don't want to listen to this."

"Em, please! You must still feel something for me. Last night..."

"Last night shouldn't have happened!" She snapped. "I had another row with my mum. I was angry, I wanted to feel..." She sighed as her eyes drifted shut. "I used you."

Emily used me? Okay, that hurt. Even though I was convinced it wasn't the whole truth, it hit me like a punch to the solar plexus. I swallowed my normal instinct to lash back at her, knowing fine well that I deserved it.

"I think I had it coming" I told her with a small smile. Emily didn't return it. Instead she frowned at me.

"Does that make us even, then?" I saw the scorn she had for me in her eyes right then. I shook my head.

"No, that's not what I meant. I just..." She didn't let me finish.

"Just go" said Emily, with such finality in her voice that I knew there was no point arguing further.

"I really am sorry" I mumbled to her, feeling a lump rising in my throat. I walked out of the flat and climbed back into my car, slamming the door shut behind me.

It was once I was inside that a torrent of emotion hit me. I felt tears building up within me. I didn't try to stop them, and before long I found myself sobbing uncontrollably. This time it wasn't the guilt of what I had done making me cry, although that was still there in full force. It was the realisation that I had lost Emily that made me feel so wretched. I had spent so long hiding from my feelings that I had never even been aware of their strength. The reason I had kept seeing her for so long was so simple: she made me happy. I had felt like a better person around Emily, and for once I had actually been happy. And I was the fucking idiot who had screwed it all up beyond repair.

* * *

After crying for more than I had done in a very long time, I eventually felt able to drive home. As soon as I stepped into the house, I knew something was wrong. My mum was clearly in a panic, darting about, clutching the phone in her hand. Relief filled her eyes as soon as she saw me.

"Oh Naomi! Thank God you're back. I tried calling... It's Malcolm, his office just rang, he... they've taken him to hospital, they think... he collapsed, it might be his heart." She gabbled on, but what she was trying to tell me had sunk in. I told her I would take her straight to the hospital, and in no time at all, we were on our way.

I kept casting anxious glances across at mum while I drove. I couldn't remember ever seeing her in such a mess. She was desperate to get to the hospital, quietly cursing every set of lights that stopped us. I kept repeating meaningless platitudes as I drove: he would be okay, he was in the best possible place. I didn't really know what else to do, and I wasn't sure if I was talking more to comfort mum or to comfort myself.

Eventually we arrived at the hospital, parked up and dashed into the building. Our enquiries at the front desk led us to Malcolm, who was still being checked out in the Emergency Room. Mum ran towards him and wrapped him up in a careful hug.

"I'm fine, Gina love. No need to worry" he croaked. I quickly cast my scrutinizing gaze over him. He was a lot paler than usual, but otherwise he seemed to be his usual self. A heart monitor beeped rhythmically to one side of the bed. It's steady sound was reassuring, somehow. I was certainly no expert, but at least it sounded like Malcolm's heart was working right.

"Fine!" Snapped mum. "How can you be fine? They said you collapsed, I didn't know what to do, I..." Malcolm stroked a hand soothingly over mum's shoulder.

"I didn't collapse. I just couldn't breath properly - I got this heavy feeling in my chest." Mum gasped sharply. Before she could bombard Malcolm with questions, the curtain to his cubicle was pulled back and a lady in a white coat, presumably the consultant, stepped in.

* * *

Some time later, and I was stood outside the hospital entrance having a much needed fix of nicotine. The consultant had quickly confirmed that Malcolm had not had a heart attack, which had naturally been our first concern. I had to give them credit - the doctors had not hung about in checking him out. I suppose a suspected heart attack is top of their 'to do' list. They were certain that his attack had in fact been Angina, and they were running some tests to confirm that. I had breathed a little easier at this information. Angina was treatable. Malcolm would need to change his lifestyle and take tablets, but it was all fairly straight forward when compared to the originally feared heart attack.

I heard the hospital doors slide open and I was joined by my mother. She stood silently beside me for a while, gulping in some fresh air. I snuck a sideways glance at her to see how she was doing. She certainly looked calmer than she had done earlier, but worry was still etched across her face. I sighed to myself at the realisation. She really did care about Malcolm. I had been so blind for so long to have not seen it. I had also been worried sick myself since getting home to find mum in such a state. I cared about Malcolm as well, more than I had ever admitted to myself before.

"He's going to be okay" mum muttered, more to herself than to me. "He works too hard. I'm always telling him he's too stressed." I stared at her, wanting to comfort her but feeling so unsure of myself somehow. Things had been so strained between us for so long that I wasn't really sure how to act anymore. In the end, I reached across and slipped my free hand into one of hers. She squeezed my hand gently and smiled gratefully at me. After a few moments stood like that, I dropped her hand and stared out in front of me.

"So. How did it go with Emily this morning?" Asked mum, smoothly moving the subject on. I let out a long, exasperated sigh.

"Crap. Like I said, she hates me. I took her some flowers, but she wouldn't really hear me out." I knew I sounded so defeated, but it was how I felt. I took a last drag of my cigarette, before flicking the butt away. I stumbled forward and felt a sharp pain in my head as mum's hand cuffed me across the ear. "Ow! What the fuck?" I stared angrily at her while gently rubbing a hand across my stinging ear.

"Is that how I raised you?" Asked mum, her eyes full of anger. For a moment I wondered what she was talking about, before she decided to enlighten me. "You can kill yourself by filling your lungs up with tar if you want to, but don't take the planet with you!" Trust mum to think about the fucking planet at a time like this. I stooped down to retrieve my offending cigarette butt, before putting it into a nearby bin, grumbling all the while.

"Happy now?" I asked sarcastically. Mum nodded.

"Yes. And I already told you, Emily doesn't hate you. She just needs you to prove to her what she means to you. It'll take more than a bunch of Asda flowers and an 'I'll do anything you want in the bedroom' love token to fix this."

"Love token?" I asked, incredulous.

"Yes. Malcolm forgot our anniversary once, so to get himself out of the dog-house he..."

"Mum!" I cut across her to stop the frightening turn that the conversation had suddenly taken. There was no way I wanted to hear details of their sex life. "Anyway, they weren't from Asda" I said rather pathetically. The flowers had been from a proper florist - a rather pricey, modern one at that - but they suddenly seemed ridiculously inadequate.

"So, what _does_ she mean to you?" Probed mum, not letting the subject drop. She fastened a piercing gaze on me, as if willing me to admit the truth for once. I decided it was probably time that I did.

"I think... I... I think I love her."

Mum chuckled gently.

"Of course you do, you wally!" It was said with affection, but I still rolled my eyes at her. "You won her over once for the wrong reasons. Surely you can do it again for the right reasons?"

"Maybe she's better off without me" I said sadly. Mum laid her hand on my shoulder and fixed me with a solemn stare.

"Naomi, just because you did a bad thing, doesn't make you a bad person." I nodded, not really feeling convinced. "So. What are you going to do to fix this?"

* * *

**A/N: ****I should explain the expression 'soft as clarts': clarts means mud, or sometimes shit - as in 'we're in the clarts'. I know it's not something you would hear in Bristol, but I like to use unusual expressions. So now you know and can all rush to use it!**

**Let me know what you think! **


	24. Chapter 24

**I have noticed an increasing amount of reviews speculating over what kind of ending I'm heading towards here. Not surprising, considering that it's based on a very dark book. At the end of 'Les liaisons' everyone pretty much either dies or gets syphilis. This is only loosely based on the book, so that won't happen to anyone here. Well okay, maybe to Mandy. She can die. Or get syphilis. And then die. From syphilis. Even though she doesn't even appear in this story.**

**Now there may be snow on the ground as I type this, but my story is still set in summer time, so we're off to the beach. Since I live in a seaside town it just seems like a natural location for a day out. I've never actually been to Weston-super-Mare, so I googled it. Oh, and who votes for Naomi to construct whole sentences around Emily? Everyone? Okay!**

**Enjoy!**

**Myrtle.**

* * *

Chapter Twenty Four

Emily

"You know that I love you, right?"

Naomi's beautiful blue eyes stared intently into mine. I could see the truth of her words in them. I nodded, unable to offer anything else as a response. I was lying on my bed with Naomi hovering above me, supporting herself on her elbows. When she saw me nod, she lowered herself agonisingly slowly down towards me. It was as much as I could do to stop myself from arching my back up to meet her. Eventually, her lips met mine in a soft kiss. I felt the weight of her body pressing me down into the bed. Instinctively I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her closer. Our lips parted exactly in tandem and our tongues danced together perfectly. My hands slid of their own accord under her t-shirt to caress the warm skin beneath it. I felt her hands slide lower, seeking the hem of my top.

Naomi pulled back from the kiss to look questioningly at me. I nodded again and in one fluid movement, my top was on the floor. Her lips moved back to mine, and she kissed me with a passionate urgency. I felt one of her hands tangle in my hair, while the other moved gently over my stomach. It slid upwards until it reached my bra clad breast, then it squeezed firmly. I gasped as Naomi's firm thigh moved between my legs. Involuntarily, I ground myself against it. Naomi took advantage of the momentary break of our kiss to move her lips down to my neck. She pressed hot, wet kisses to the base of my throat. I heard a faint knocking sound coming from the other side of the door, but I ignored it. Naomi and her hands were all I could focus on right now. One hand had pushed it's way inside my bra, the other was seamlessly gliding down towards the wet heat between my legs. It all felt so right, so perfect. Apart from the knocking on the door that is, which was steadily growing louder. I pushed all thoughts other than Naomi from my mind. She completely surrounded me, she was all I could touch, taste, smell. The knocking became a hammering, but somehow I knew that acknowledging it would be a bad thing.

"God, Emily! I was knocking loud enough to wake the fucking dead!"

Fuck. Groggily, I opened my eyes to be greeted by the sight of my sister peering down at me. Naomi had vanished with my first hint of consciousness.

"Get your lazy arse out of bed will you? We're going out." With that, Katie walked from the room leaving me alone. I stared around me, half expecting Naomi to be stood there - the dream had felt so real. The heat between my legs was certainly real. The Naomi of my dream had got me all hot and sweaty. I hated the fact that she could do that to me even in my subconscious. Bloody brain, betraying my decision to stop thinking about her. I glanced towards the door to make sure that Katie had closed it behind her. She was just going to have to wait. I was desperately in need of some release.

* * *

Sometime later and Katie and I were walking along the pier at Weston-super-Mare. She had borrowed mum's car for the day, and had driven the two of us the short journey to the beach. The weather was pleasant, but not nice enough for sunbathing. I was pleased about that - Katie could lie for hours doing nothing more than topping up her tan. Personally, I got bored after half an hour if I didn't have a book with me. The beach was still busy though. We walked past plenty of laughing families, going for donkey rides along the shore. We stood watching them for a while, filled with happy memories of our own childhood. Many was the time when we were younger that we came here as a family. We would always pester mum and dad to let us ride the donkeys.

I sighed to myself as the memories washed through me. Things always seemed so much simpler when you were a kid. I'm sure the biggest worry we ever had back then was whether or not we would get an ice-cream before we went home. There's no such thing as a broken heart to a nine year old. The prospect of being kicked out of home by a parent doesn't even occur to you at that age. Mum was always the person to run to when you grazed your knee, or cut your finger. Deep down, I had thought that would never change. The cuts and grazes may be metaphorical now, but I should still be able to run to my mother for her to kiss my pain away.

"Come on, I'll buy you a ninety-nine" said Katie as she moved off towards an ice-cream van. I followed after her, chuckling at how our thoughts had been running along similar lines.

With an ice-cream each in hand, we continued our walk along the pier. I glanced across at Katie as she ate. She had been rather taciturn so far, and I was beginning to wonder what this trip down memory lane was all about. At first I had assumed it was an effort to cheer me up - I had been wallowing in my pain quite a bit lately. But I was also realising that Katie just wanted us to spend time together before my move to London. We hadn't discussed my move since I had first mentioned the course to her. I knew Katie would miss me - I was certainly going to miss her. Mum's reaction to my relationship with Naomi had affected Katie a great deal too. I suppose that, like me, she had always assumed that mum would support us no matter what. It also hurt her to discover that it wasn't the case. I wanted so much to talk to her about it all, but I wasn't sure how to begin. In the end, I decided on a neutral sentence that would get a conversation going.

"So, when does mum want the car back?" I asked. Katie just shrugged.

"She was in the shower when I took it." She took in my raised eyebrow at her statement, and laughed. "She shouldn't leave the keys lying around, should she?" We laughed together at the thought of mum hunting high and low throughout the house for the car keys, probably not even thinking to check that the car was still on the driveway. As our laughter faded away, Katie suddenly scowled. "Her and dad have been arguing a lot. Dad was furious with her after you were last there. Mum keeps saying that she did what he wanted: that she said you could come home, but you threw it in her face." I gave a hollow laugh at that.

"She only said I could come home because she thought she could blame everything on Naomi! I couldn't move back there and just pretend like that - pretend that I hadn't fallen in love with her." Mum was winding me up without even being there. I took a deep breath to try to calm down a bit. Katie held her hands up defensively.

"I know! Look, she's being a complete cow right now, but she is softening. It was quite a shock to her - maybe she'll be okay with it once she gets over that."

I sighed and suppressed the urge to argue further. Katie wasn't the one I was angry at - I knew she had tried her best with mum for me. That thought reminded me of something I had been wanting to talk to Katie about.

"You took it pretty well. I really thought you would freak out when I first told you." I had been expecting an angry reaction from Katie when I first admitted that I'd slept with Naomi. She had continually warned me that Naomi was making a play for me. At the time, I had thought it was borne of bigotry. Katie shrugged.

"I wasn't that surprised, really. I'd seen there was a spark between the two of you. I didn't _like_ her, because I didn't trust her. I thought she was just using you." We both stood silently for a moment as 'I told you so' hung in the air between us. I felt grateful to Katie that she chose not to voice it.

"But at school, and at Roundview - you were always on at me about getting a boyfriend. Always worried about what people would think if I didn't have one."

"I know." Katie sighed and sank down into a bench that looked out over the sea front. I sat down next to her. "I'd started to realise that you were... different. I don't think I really knew how, but I didn't like it. I was always so scared of what other people would think. And it never occurred to me to question mum's opinions back then."

I nodded to show I understood her so far. We had grown up listening to mum's opinions on everything. She was always so certain of herself that we never thought to question it, until we got older. Katie continued. "But once we were at Uni, I started to see that you weren't happy. I felt like I'd pushed you into a box that you didn't belong in." She frowned and looked down at the ground, not meeting my eyes. I reached my hand out for hers and interlaced our fingers.

"Katie, you didn't." I gave her hand a small squeeze. "I think I put myself in that box. I didn't really figure out what I wanted until I met Naomi. I'd been attracted to other girls before, but I told myself it didn't mean anything. I dated guys because... well, I think I just assumed I was straight. I didn't have a reason to question it before Naomi came along. I'd never felt like that about anyone before." And I don't think I'll feel like that about anyone else again, I silently added to myself. I took a deep breath and tried to stem the tide of emotion rising up in my chest. Katie must have sensed it. She let go of my hand and pulled me in towards her for a tight hug.

"Has she been round again?" She asked. I shook my head. I hadn't seen Naomi since she came round with flowers and a pathetic apology four days ago. Every day I had expected her to show up again. Part of me wanted her to. I had wanted so desperately to believe her when she apologised, but I wasn't sure that I could. Her words had fallen far short of what I wanted to hear from her. I wasn't interested in her excuses, I wanted to know how she really felt about me.

"Come on." I let go my hold on Katie and got to my feet. "Let's go look at those sand sculptures."

For the past few years, Weston-super-Mare had been host to a Sand Sculpture Festival over the summer months. Professional sand sculptors (if there is such a thing) come from around the world to create huge models, often up to 12 feet high, in the sand. Katie and I spent time looking around at each of the models being created. I took plenty of photographs. It felt strange knowing that by the time I got them printed off, those models would no longer exist. So much effort went into making something that would only last until the next high tide. They were so beautiful, yet their existence was all too brief.

* * *

Later that evening, we were all gathered at Thomas and Panda's flat. No one had enough money for a night out, so we had all brought cans or bottles with us, to have a night in. With the exception of Freddie - he had rolled his own contribution for the night into the fattest spliff I'd ever seen. It had been passed around a few times, and drinks had been topped up a few times, when there was a knock at the door. We stared stupidly around at each other for a moment, trying to work out who was missing. Panda went to answer it. I went from slightly pissed to sober in a flash as Naomi walked into the room. She was carrying a bag that clearly contained a large box. Everyone fell silent and shifted uncomfortably in their seats. I placed a warning hand on Katie's wrist, and silently asked her not to react in her usual style. She gave me a small nod in answer.

Naomi looked uncertainly around her. It was clear she hadn't expected everyone else to be there. I wanted to hear her out, but I wasn't going to make it easy for her. I crossed my arms and fixed what I intended to be an impassive look to my face. I hoped she wouldn't ask if we could talk in private - I felt stronger with my friends gathered around us. Besides, there was no need for secrecy. I had already told everyone what had happened between us. A look of resolve settled across her features. She fixed her eyes on mine and began to talk in a calm, steady voice.

"There's no excuses for what I did, I know that. I just wanted to get back at Jenna, and I thought it would be fun." For a moment, her gaze faltered. She looked to the floor and seemed to be stealing herself to carry on. Then she raised her eyes back to mine. "That's why I joined the gym - to get back at her through you or Katie. I settled on you the second I laid eyes on you. Believe it or not, I never thought about how it would hurt you. Not until I'd gotten to know you that is. Once I thought about it, I decided not to go ahead with my plan."

"And how long after we slept together did you decide that?" I asked. Naomi shook her head firmly.

"No, it was before." She pinched her forefinger and thumb to the bridge of her nose and I wondered if she was trying to hold back tears. Was the ice queen finally starting to melt?

"So you decided to forget about revenge, but you still fucked me?" I asked. My voice held all the calmness that was lacking from my mind. Naomi dropped her hand away from her face and I noticed that her eyes seemed shiny. When she spoke though, her voice sounded firm.

"Yes. I was attracted to you from the start, so I still wanted to fu..." She paused, clearly trying to choose her words more carefully. "...To get you into bed." Internally, I praised her careful choice of phrase. I would have laughed in her face if she had referred to it as 'making love'. She still had more to say. "I didn't want anything serious though. I just wanted some fun for a bit, before I moved on. But you turned everything upside down for me. I'm normally in control of everything, but I didn't feel in control around you." Naomi's voice rose higher as she became more animated. She let out an exasperated sigh. I couldn't look away from her. I didn't need to see everyone else's faces to know that they too were hanging on her every word. No one else spoke. Naomi took a deep breath and carried on, her voice sounding under control once more. "When your mum kicked you out, I felt so guilty and it was horrible. Then you turned up at the house and you knew everything - I felt even more guilty. I hated feeling like that, so I acted like I didn't give a shit. I acted like it meant nothing, even though I knew it would break your heart." A silent tear made it's slow path down her cheek. She didn't even seem to notice it. "But I ended up breaking my own heart, too." She gave a little laugh, and smiled sadly. "Sounds like such a fucking cliché, doesn't it? But it's true. I fell in love with you Emily, and I was too fucking scared, and blind, and selfish to even realise. I hate myself for the way I treated you, and I know I don't deserve another chance, but I just want to be with you. I love you, Em. I love you so fucking much."

Her tears were falling steadily now. She wiped them away with the back of her hand. All I could do was sit there staring at her. I had no idea what to say in response. There she was finally saying everything that I had wanted to hear from her, but could I even believe her? Part of me - a very large part, I have to admit - wanted so badly to believe her. But I already knew from experience just how duplicitous she could be. Was this another one of her games? I was a little tipsy and a little stoned - I felt in no fit state to process all of this tonight. I stood up and walked towards her on shaky legs.

"Nai I love you too, but you broke my heart" I muttered. She bit her bottom lip and nodded softly. "So right now, I need you to leave." She nodded again, and wiped some more tears away. She placed the bag that she was still holding down on the floor in front of me.

"I got this for you. Cook said you're doing a photography course, so I thought this might help." I opened my mouth to protest, but she anticipated me. "I want you to keep it, Em - even if you can't forgive me. You deserve it."

Before I could say anything more she turned and walked right out of the flat, leaving a stunned silence behind her. I turned to face the others, trying to gauge some of their reactions. Panda looked sad, Katie was scowling, but Freddie just looked mildly curious.

"How did Cook know about your course?" He asked. Panda slowly raised her hand.

"I might have mentioned it. He's still Cookie, isn't he?"

"It's okay Panda" I told her. Katie and I had talked about the possibility of getting Cook sacked from the gym for his part in everything, but in the end we decided not to. The whole mess had started with a sacking - it seemed better to leave things be.

"So, what did she get you?" Asked Freddie. I picked up the bag and slid it's contents out onto the floor. The others all rose from their seats and crowded round to get a better look.

"A camera" said Panda. I nodded, but didn't say anything just yet. I was too busy looking at the piece of equipment in front of me. It wasn't just any camera, it was the exact same professional SLR camera that I had been longing for. The one that I had only dreamed of affording. Freddie gave a low whistle.

"Looks expensive. Must have cost her a few hundred quid" he speculated.

"And the rest" I answered. Six curious pairs of eyes stared at me.

"How much are they worth?" Asked JJ.

"This one probably cost about five grand." There were several sharp intakes of breath. Katie snorted.

"So? Her step-dad's loaded, isn't he?" I nodded. Naomi had no money of her own. She didn't seem to fully appreciate the value of money either. I remembered her telling me once that her mother thought expensive presents could solve every problem. This was certainly a thoughtful thing to get me, but it did seem as though Naomi thought an expensive gift was the answer too.

"I need some fresh air" I announced suddenly. I felt stifled by all of this. I didn't know what to think any more, and I wanted to clear my head if I could. "I'll just be ten minutes, I promise." Without giving anyone a chance to respond, I left the flat much in the manner Naomi had a few minutes earlier. Once outside I moved quickly to get out of sight of the flat, before slowing my pace down. My head was buzzing, and it was nothing to do with the weed. I wandered aimlessly and soon found myself on the main road of the estate. I stopped dead in my tracks as my eyes fell on the figure ahead of me. Just a few feet in front of me at the bus stop stood Naomi. She was frowning down at the timetable, her index finger pressed against it trying to figure out a route. As I came to a halt, she seemed to sense my presence. She looked up, and smiled warmly when she saw me. Then she realised I was surprised to see her and her smile faltered. She must have thought that I was chasing after her. I quickly turned away and set my steps in a different direction.

I didn't feel any clearer after my walk. I rejoined the others as promised after a short meander, but my head was hardly in it. I remained quiet for the rest of the evening, getting drunker and more stoned, but not feeling any more certain about what I should do. It wasn't until much later that the relevance of what I had seen finally sank in. As I lay alone in bed, it was as if a light had been shone on something that I had witnessed, but not fully taken in at the time. I suddenly began to wonder what the hell was Naomi, owner of a very posh, not too old sports car, doing stood at a bus stop?

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**Ahh, there we go. I feel certain that you can all put those pieces together. Let me know what you think!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Bit quicker delivery on this one but as a magician, December will be a busy month for me. I will surely still have some time to write, but I make no promises.**

**It's time for a thaw I think, and I'm not talking about the weather. Oh, and there is a Buffy quote here for those that like to spot them.**

**Enjoy! Myrtle **

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Chapter Twenty Five

Naomi

Have I told you how much I hate public transport? I mean seriously HATE it. There are no words for how much I detest this method of travelling. Being squashed into a bus with forty or so complete strangers, trying to hang on for dear life as the knackered old vehicle traverses speed bumps and corners with it's clapped out suspension. It's not much better if you manage to get a seat. Invariably you will end up boxed in by someone standing right over you, their armpit horrifyingly level with your nose. And why do so many people think that extra perfume or aftershave will mask the fact that they skipped a shower that day? Quieter times are not much better. The seats are filthy, having been used by several passengers as a foot rest. And the huge lady who gets on with twenty bags of shopping will always choose to squeeze herself into the seat next to you, no matter how many empty seats there are.

My sports car may have been no friend to the environment, but I loved it. I didn't have to queue to get in it. I didn't have to share that enclosed space with the great unwashed of Bristol. I didn't have to wait half an hour past the time specified on the timetable, just for it to show up. And I didn't need a fucking degree in advanced mathematics just to know what time it was due. No-one has used the seats as a footrest, or as a place to stick chewing gum. And there are no fuckwits destined for tinnitus later in life, because they think the music on their iPod should be shared with the rest of the world.

A knock at the front door snapped me out of my little internal rant. Mum and Malcolm were both in, but I knew it would be quicker to answer the door myself. Malcolm was bedridden - not by doctors orders, but by mums constant fussing over him. She hadn't let him do a thing for himself since he returned home from the hospital. She constantly hovered by him, trying to anticipate his every whim or need. Needless to say, Malcolm's patience was wearing thin. He had already snapped at her a couple of times. Sensing an argument brewing, I was keeping a wide berth. I rolled myself off my bed and strolled downstairs to the door. I wasn't expecting it to be anyone for me, so I got quite a surprise when I opened it and saw Emily stood on the other side. She was dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt, and her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail. My breath caught in my throat at the sight of her. She really was stunningly beautiful without any need for effort.

"Can I come in?" She asked, frowning. I was so stunned at seeing her that all I had managed to utter so far was her name in exclamation. I quickly got my brain in gear.

"Of course" I stammered out as I stepped back to let her in. As she entered into the hallway, I saw that she had nothing with her. I was pleased - hopefully she wasn't planning on returning the camera to me. I had meant what I said to her last night - I really wanted her to have it, regardless of whether or not she forgave me.

We hovered awkwardly in the hallway for a moment, while I debated where to suggest we should go. My bedroom seemed like a bad idea somehow. It was filled with memories and connotations of more intimate times. I opted instead for the kitchen and led her through there. This house has a perfectly comfortable sitting room, but the kitchen is where we always end up relaxing.

"Tea? Coffee?" I asked, nervously. I was wondering what Emily's reason was for being here. I hoped with all my heart that she was here to forgive me, but I couldn't let myself believe it.

"Tea" she answered with a shrug, before sitting down at the table. A little carnival broke out inside my head. She would hardly accept a drink from me if she was only here to tell me to fuck off for good, right? I made a pot of tea with my back to her to hide the smile that I couldn't contain. I poured out two mugs, then joined her at the table, sitting in the seat next to her. I watched Emily closely as she took a gulp then looked dartingly around her. I wanted so badly to make this easier for her, but since I didn't know what she was here to say, I had to remain silent. Eventually she seemed ready to say something, but she didn't get a chance.

"Oh hi, Emily! Lovely to see you again." My mother breezed into the kitchen, blissfully unaware of the tense atmosphere. She paused, and we both watched as her eyes flicked up to Emily's hair then back down to her face. "It _is_ Emily this time isn't it? I thought you'd changed your hair colour last time!" I watched Emily's face as she frowned. I rolled my eyes at my mother.

"Yes it's Emily, and we have a lot to talk about" I said pointedly, hoping she would take the hint and leave. After getting a cup of tea each for her and Malcolm, she did. As she left, she nearly spilled the tea trying to give me a not-so-subtle thumbs up. My only response was to glare at her.

"Katie was here?" Asked Emily, once mum was out of the room.

"Yeah, she er..." I paused, unsure how much to say about her visit. In truth, I had thought Emily would have already heard all about it from Katie. Emily frowned at me.

"What happened?" She watched me hesitate for a moment, before adding "The truth, please."

"It was the day after you were last here. She punched me..." Emily gasped in shock. "...and told me I was to stay the fuck away from you." I couldn't meet Emily's eyes. I stared down at the table in front of me as I remembered Katie's words to me that day.

"I'm sorry." Emily said it so softly I almost missed it. "I didn't put her up to it, I promise. I didn't think she knew where you live."

"It's okay, I deserved it." I finally raised my eyes back to Emily's. She seemed to be scrutinising me. "I think she knocked some sense into me." Emily gave a small chuckle, and I realised it was the first time in ages that I'd seen her smile. I had missed it.

"That was quite a speech last night" she said, suddenly getting serious again.

"I may have practiced it in front of the mirror" I joked, before mentally kicking myself. Not the time to be flippant, Naomi. "I meant it though" I added, getting serious myself. "All of it. I love you." Funny how those three words had caused me so much fear. In all honesty I was still scared of the way I felt about Emily, but I was more scared now of never being able to fix what I'd broken. She stared at me like she was trying to discern the truth in my eyes. I stared unblinkingly back, feeling for the first time that I wasn't trying to hide myself from her.

"You can't buy me back, you know. The camera, it's..."

"I know" I answered quickly. "I wasn't trying to buy you. I just wanted to show you how much you mean to me, and how sorry I am. I wanted to get you something that I knew you would really like." It was true. I certainly hadn't expected Emily to swoon into my arms when I presented her with the camera. I just wanted her to have something that would help her follow her dreams.

"Where's your car?" She asked suddenly. I swallowed down the urge to launch into my rant about buses, and instead answered her question.

"I needed the money" I said with a shrug. Emily frowned at me.

"You sold it?" I nodded. "To pay for the camera? But I thought your step-dad..."

"I wanted to pay for it myself. Otherwise it wouldn't have really been from me." I watched Emily as a small smile spread across her lips. For the first time, a tiny spark of hope ignited within me. "Is there any way I can make this up to you?" I asked. Emily let out a low sigh.

"I don't know. You broke my fucking heart, Naomi." She said it not accusingly, but sadly. I felt tears welling in my eyes as I looked at her. Guilt engulfed me once again.

"I know I did. I know. I've never felt like this about anyone before, and I was scared. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." I practically choked on a sob with the last word. I took a deep breath and forced it back down. "Please, just give me a chance to make it up to you. I'll do anything." I felt a couple of tears slip down my face. I moved to wipe them away, but Emily beat me to it. She traced her thumb softly across my cheek. We sat there silently staring at each other. I longed to close the distance between us and pull her in for a kiss, but I didn't dare. Even as I watched her eyes flick quickly down to my lips, I didn't move. Instead it was Emily who moved us closer. She leaned forwards and pressed her lips against mine. I closed my eyes and breathed in her adorable scent once more. I gladly let her deepen the kiss. It wasn't with the lusty passion of our last kiss in the club that her tongue moved into my mouth. Instead it was a tender reacquaintance with familiar territory. My heart leaped for joy at the sensation of Emily's lips against mine again. As she pulled away from me, I kept my eyes closed for a moment, trying to hold on to the very taste of her. When I opened my eyes, she was frowning slightly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that." Emily rose swiftly to her feet, avoiding my gaze. "I hate that I have no control around you." My instincts screamed at me to not let her leave. I leapt up and took one of her hands in both of mine.

"Just give me a chance, please." I stared at her, willing her to look at me. When she eventually turned to face me, I pouted and fluttered my eyelashes at her. I wasn't sure that kidding around was the best way to go, but it was worth a shot. I relaxed when she finally laughed.

"You're very annoying" she told me, but she certainly didn't sound annoyed.

"Yeah, well. You seem to inspire it in me." I grinned broadly at her as the tension between us seemed to drop away. Emily closed her eyes and let out a sigh as if finally giving in to something.

"Okay. You can take me out, tomorrow night" she told me as she dropped back into her seat.

"Out?"

"Yes. Out. You know, on a date?" Emily smirked up at me. A date? Fuck, I've never even _been_ on a date. I've never wanted to before, but a date with Emily? That sounds just about perfect to me. I sat back down again.

"Okay, a date" I answered with a smile. "I'll wine, dine, and sixty-nine you. Er, no! Fuck, I meant..." Ah shit. Does my brain hate me? Why the fuck did it make me say that? Fortunately, Emily just chuckled.

"Just stick to the 'wining and dining', okay?" She arched an eyebrow at me as I nodded vigorously.

"Right, yes. Wining and dining. Got it." I tried to return us to the more light hearted mood of a moment ago. "I don't put out on the first date, anyway" I told her with a wink. I was rewarded with another little chuckle.

Emily stayed for a while longer, and we continued chatting. It was nothing very deep or taxing, just small talk. It didn't feel as comfortable between us as it always used to, but I knew I could hardly expect that. The fact that she was even talking to me at all was amazing. As she prepared to leave, we hesitated awkwardly around each other in the doorway, neither of us sure which way to say goodbye. In the end, I leaned down and pressed my lips gently to her cheek. Emily smiled shyly back at me, and as I watched her retreat down the driveway, I felt a lightness within me that I hadn't felt in a long time.

I ambled back into the kitchen in a fantastic mood. Mum soon followed me in, having quite obviously been listening out for Emily's departure. Her face was all excitement and anticipation.

"Well?" She asked. The huge smile on my face would not be contained.

"I have a date tomorrow night!" I told her excitedly. Mum clapped her hands together with delight.

"Oh, that's wonderful! Don't fuck it up though, will you?"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence" I said dryly. She needn't have worried. I knew what a jammy git I was to get a second chance with Emily. I had no intention of fucking it up again. Which brought my mind back to something I had been worrying about. I took a deep breath as I prepared to do a very foolhardy thing: ask my mother for advice. "So, what should we do on this date?"

"A nice restaurant is the usual thing" said mum with a shrug. "Malcolm took me to a lovely place last week. This really posh French restaurant. The lobster was fantastic." I shook my head firmly.

"No. I'm not taking her to some wanky French place that charges a fortune, and makes us both feel uncomfortable." I didn't care about the cost, I just knew that sort of thing wouldn't impress Emily one bit. If I was going to win her back I had to start letting her see the real me - not pretend that I was some sort of sophisticated epicure.

"Well, Italian then" mum suggested. I nodded thoughtfully. I knew Emily liked pasta, she had mentioned it once. A nice, low key, candlelit place could be just the thing for our date. As I tuned back in to what mum was saying, I realised she had taken my request for advice to heart. She was rabbiting away with lots of other supposedly helpful snippets of enlightenment: "...and give her plenty of compliments. Pull her chair back for her. Oh, and remember your table manners! Don't eat with your elbow on the table, I'm always telling you that." I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't help smiling at her. If my date went tits up, I felt sure that it would be nothing to do with the placement of my elbow. I was determined not to mess this up though. Emily was giving me the chance to start again, and I was going to make sure that she didn't regret it.

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**Apologies to any French readers: I have nothing against French cuisine, and certainly don't think all French places are wanky! **

**So, there is a date in the next chapter. Without any sixty-nineing, I'm afraid. **


	26. Chapter 26

**Right: so my brain is a strange and mysterious place - I think that has already been established. Anyway, I kept thinking that living with Thomas and Panda was bound to have pitfalls for Emily. I hope you like the result of that thought. Sometimes, I wonder what stuff like this is doing in my brain to begin with!**

**This chapter goes out to girlno4282 who, for reasons that escape me, seems to find me interesting. No, I don't understand it either.**

**Hope you enjoy! Myrtle.**

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Chapter Twenty Six

Emily

I'm an idiot. I must be. A fucking stupid idiot. Either that or a glutton for punishment. Why else had I agreed to go out with Naomi? After everything she's done, why the hell am I still giving her another chance to fuck me over again? God, I really have to learn some self control around that girl. I should have just walked away from the whole sorry mess. Instead I find myself walking towards her, every single time. I shouldn't have gone round to see her today. I definitely shouldn't have kissed her, but like I said, no self control. I'm not deluding myself - I know I'm still in love with her. That's the real reason I keep going back. I _want_ her apology to be as genuine as it sounded. I _want_ her to really be feeling the guilt that she appears to be feeling. And I _want_ her to be in love with me, like she finally said she is. If only I could be sure.

As I sat alone in my room in Thomas and Panda's flat, I found myself really looking forward to our date, despite my doubts. Maybe I was being stupid by giving her another chance, but I just couldn't help myself. Everything she had said, seemed so genuine. She had finally stripped away all of her excuses and her self-delusion and given me the pure, unadulterated truth. No bullshit, just honest confession. At least, that was how it had appeared. And my heart had sang with joy when she told me again that she loves me. Maybe it was just wishful thinking, but her eyes had been so full of truth when she said it. I had felt so sure that this connection between us was a two way thing, so Naomi's declaration was simply the most logical answer to all the turmoil of the last couple of weeks. I just melted when I saw the tears in her eyes. I had tried to convince myself recently that she is a cold hearted bitch, but that image contrasted so starkly with everything that had gone before. Even so, I had never in the whole of our brief acquaintance, expected to see her cry. Yes, I know that tears can be faked, but Naomi had the look of someone with nothing left to hide.

I still hadn't decided if I was keeping the camera though - it was a very expensive gift. Naomi had said again that she wanted me to keep it, no matter what happened between us. In truth, that was probably to help salve her own guilt. That didn't mean that I wasn't touched by such a thoughtful gift though. Especially when my suspicions were confirmed, and she told me that she had sold her car in order to pay for it. She had given up her most prized possession, simply to give me something that she knew I really wanted. The gesture had certainly moved me, but it was her actions in future that would decide whether or not I could trust her again. I certainly wasn't going to rush into that decision.

I glanced at the bedside clock. It was after half past eleven at night. I had spent most of the evening in my room reading. Sitting here was a lot less comfortable than in the sitting room, but I tried to give Panda and Thomas some space every now and then. I put my book down and stretched my back out. I felt thirsty so I rose from the bed and stepped out into the hallway. I heard the two of them go into their bedroom a little while ago, so I didn't care that I had nothing but a long t-shirt on to cover my modesty.

The kitchen was in darkness, but I could hear someone moving around in there. I flicked the light on, and a very startled looking Panda turned towards me, her face flushing scarlet. She looked like the proverbial rabbit caught in the headlights. She had a bottle of wine in one hand, and her other hand was fidgeting nervously with the hem of her cape. Yes, that's right: her cape. Because Panda was dressed in the boots, mini-skirt and cape of Supergirl. She had the whole costume, right down to the tight-fitting top emblazoned with an 'S', straining across her ample cleavage. My mouth dropped open in surprise as I took in the sight in front of me.

"I was er... just getting this" said Panda, waving the bottle of wine in unnecessary explanation. I closed my mouth, but couldn't stop it from forming into a smirk. Panda cleared her throat uncertainly. "We're er... hmm. We're just off to a fancy dress party..."

"At nearly midnight?" I bit my lip in an effort to contain my giggles. I failed dismally. Realising that she couldn't talk her way out of this, Panda joined in with my giggling.

"We've got dressed up for each other" she admitted. "We told each other our secret fantasy, and we had to dress up for each other like that!"

"So Thomas has a thing for Supergirl?" I asked in surprise. Panda nodded.

"Yeah, he has all the comics. I think it's something to do with the boots." She turned one foot on pointe. I glanced down at her knee high, bright red boots.

"Yeah, the boots look great" I said with a nod. If it was possible, Panda blushed even more.

"Oh. Right." I watched her frown in confusion. "Em, you know I _like_ you but..."

Oh, for fucks sake!

"Panda, relax" I told her. "I didn't mean that _I_ fancy you!" She breathed out a sigh of relief. I was about to say something more, but just then another voice joined us in the kitchen.

"Panda, are you coming back to..." Thomas' sentence ended abruptly as he realised it wasn't just Panda in the room. I turned around to face him but as soon as I did so, he darted from the room. I just had chance to take in his hat, sensible shoes and notepad.

"Panda... is Thomas dressed as a _traffic warden?" _I asked, raising an eyebrow and looking back over my shoulder at her.

"Um, yeah" said Panda with a sheepish grin. I shook my head in disbelief. I really didn't need to know why Panda had a thing for traffic wardens. I grabbed myself a drink of water and hastily returned to my room, praying that I would fall asleep quickly tonight. The last thing I needed was to lie awake listening to the sounds echoing through the wall, of Supergirl getting a parking ticket.

* * *

Things were pretty quiet in the flat the next day. I felt sure that we had each of us cycled through our options on how to deal with our night's misadventure, and ultimately settled on the same choice: denial. Not a word was uttered between us about what I had seen in the kitchen. It was as if an unspoken agreement had been reached to never acknowledge that anything had happened. Instead, we all spoke to each other with an over-the-top politeness that had never been present before.

I was just finishing off getting ready for my date, when I heard a knock at the door. I prayed it wasn't Naomi just yet. She had texted me asking me to be ready for 6.30 - which seemed a little early for a dinner date - but I still had twenty minutes to go. I had been in a panic for the last hour trying to decide what to wear. I had twice gone through the limited selection of clothes that I had brought from home, before deciding on a 'smart/casual' look of some vaguely dressy jeans with a simple black blouse. I left off from applying my make-up when I heard Katie's dulcet tones issuing from the sitting room, talking to Panda and Thomas. I walked through to join them.

"Hi, Kay. You alright?" I asked. Katie seemed very agitated.

"I'm fine, except for getting a fucking ticket today! I know I was in a disabled parking bay, but it was a fucking emergency! River Island had the most gorgeous shoes on sale, I just had to have them. Fucking traffic warden." Involuntarily, my eyes met those of Thomas, before hastily looking away again. He shuffled awkwardly, before sitting down on the sofa, his eyes trained on the floor. If Katie picked up on the uncomfortable atmosphere, she chose to ignore it. Her irritation seemed behind her now. "Anyway, I wondered if you fancied going out tonight? We could go to the cinema." I frowned, wondering how best to handle this. Panda didn't give me a chance.

"Emily's got a date tonight" she announced. I braced myself for Katie's reaction.

"With who?" She asked suspiciously. Her whole demeanour changed as the only logical answer presented itself to her. "You're not seeing that bitch again, are you?" She demanded. Her voice was harsh, full of venom. "You can't honestly believe that load of fucking tosh she gave you the other night, can you?" I sighed softly to myself. I knew Katie would be dead against me seeing Naomi again, but I had hoped to avoid her finding out until I was more sure of how things stood.

"I think she's really sorry for what happened. She wants to make it up to me."

"She wants to make a fool of you again" snapped Katie. "How can you even go near her again? Just keep the camera, and tell the bitch to fuck off." I shook my head at her.

"I can't. Katie, I still love her - that doesn't just go away because she hurt me. I really want to believe that she's sorry. I know I might get hurt again, but I can't just walk away from her." I was desperate for Katie to back down, but I knew that wasn't going to happen easily.

"Emily, you _will_ get hurt again! It's just another game to her." I shook my head again, but I wasn't sure what to say. I had enough doubts of my own, how was I to placate Katie's doubts? I decided on a different tactic.

"I can't believe you punched her!" I said, trying to make her feel guilty. To my surprise, Katie started giggling.

"You should have seen her!" She stammered out. "I hardly touched her, but she fell straight to the ground!"

"Katie!" I snapped, silencing her laughter immediately. "This is my decision. I am going out with Naomi, and you're going to leave her alone. Okay?" I spoke firmly, wanting Katie to realise that my mind was made up. She must have recognised that there was nothing more she could say, because she nodded tritely. She hates to let anyone else have the last word though, so she continued muttering under her breath about what an idiot I was. I ignored her and walked back into my room to finish my make-up.

There was another knock at the door, and this time I knew it must be Naomi. Fantastic: Naomi and Katie in the same room together. Not a situation to show either of them in their best light. I was pleased that I had not shut the bedroom door behind me - I could keep an ear out to make sure Katie behaved herself. I could hear Panda telling Naomi that I was just getting ready, so I shouted through that I would be there soon. Katie's harsh tone carried through to me.

"So. Are you galactically stupid, or are you hoping for another punch in the face?" She asked Naomi. There was a pause, in which I assumed Naomi was trying to decide on her best way to answer.

"The first one" she said at last.

"What?" Sharpness from Katie, clearly thinking that Naomi was taking the piss.

"I mean I _was_ stupid" Naomi explained swiftly. "What I did was stupid, and I'm trying to make up for it." I smiled softly to myself at her answer. Katie mustn't have had a reply for her, as she just spluttered into silence. With a last glance in the mirror, I decided I was ready and had better intervene anyway. I walked back into the sitting room, where a very nervous looking Naomi was being glared at by Katie.

"Glad to see everyone's getting along" I said lightly, trying to ignore the tension in the room. Naomi had also dressed casually. She looked beautiful in skinny black jeans and a pretty vest top. She smiled when she saw me.

"You look great Em. Shall we go?" Clearly she didn't want to hang around Katie for any longer than necessary, and I could hardly blame her for that.

* * *

A short but quiet taxi ride later, and Naomi and I were walking along the Quayside. There were plenty of restaurants in that part of town, so I kept expecting her to lead me into one of them. Instead, she came to a halt outside of the art gallery. It was a huge, converted warehouse, and was regularly home to an array of touring exhibits of contemporary art. I looked questioningly at Naomi.

"There's a photography exhibit on" she explained. "They're open 'til eight, so I thought we could have a look before we go for something to eat." She shrugged uncertainly. "Just if you want to."

I smiled broadly at her. I had been meaning to come down here to see the exhibit before it finished, but I hadn't got around to it so far. I told her that I thought it was a great idea. She smiled back at me and led the way into the exhibition.

The air between us felt strained as we wandered around the gallery. So far we had exchanged nothing beyond the usual pleasantries. From the corner of my eye, I noticed that Naomi kept glancing across at me, as if checking that I was okay. Whenever I looked at her, her eyes darted away. She seemed nervous. I watched for a moment as she fiddled anxiously with the strap of her handbag. This was a new side to her. She had always seemed so sure of herself before now. I decided it was time to break through this. I stilled Naomi's fidgeting hand with my own, which drew her eyes up to meet mine.

"Naomi, why are you acting so nervously?" I asked. She let out a slow breath.

"Because I don't want to fuck this up" she admitted. "I hurt you so much, and I just want to make things better, but I've never been on a date before, and I'm not sure how I'm supposed to act, or what to say or..." I waited until her rambling fell into silence, before smiling at her.

"Just be _you_, okay? I'm here because I want to get to know you - the real you. Just relax." Naomi smiled back at me and nodded. She seemed a little more at ease after that. She stopped fiddling with her bag, but kept my hand in hers. Her posture seemed to visibly relax. After a moment or two, I decided to tease her about what she had said. I arched an eyebrow at her. "So, seriously... you've _never_ been on a date?" She looked guiltily back at me.

"Er, no" she said with a small shrug. "I've never wanted to until now."

"What's changed?" I had her on the hook here, and every intention of letting her squirm.

"You" she answered firmly. "You changed everything. I didn't think I wanted anybody else until I met you. I thought I would never fall in love, but..." She smiled softly at me. "...you didn't give me a chance."

I returned her smile. If this _was_ the real Naomi, then I liked it.

After the gallery, Naomi led us on a short walk to a little Italian restaurant. It looked perfect - intimate and candle-lit. It avoided all of the usual clichés of Italian flags draped everywhere, and checked table cloths. Instead it had the feel of a really genuine family-run restaurant.

"Have you been here before?" I asked. Naomi shook her head.

"No, I asked Malcolm to recommend somewhere. He's always entertaining clients and stuff, so he knows most of the best places."

Dinner passed by very quickly. The food was great, but the company was better. After our initial awkwardness, the conversation flowed much more freely. Admittedly, there were a number of topics that we avoided. I had so many things that I wanted to ask her about what had happened between us, but a little restaurant was hardly the place to do that. They would have to wait for another day. Also, Naomi didn't seem to be aware that my photography course would take me away from Bristol. I didn't deliberately mislead her, but I didn't set her straight about it either. I wanted to keep it to myself until I knew how things were progressing.

After our main meal had been cleared away, a waiter appeared at our table to ask if we wanted to see the dessert menu. I opened my mouth to say yes, but Naomi beat me to it.

"No, just the bill please" she told him. I frowned. Was Naomi getting cheap on me? Because coming between me and a pudding was not the way to get in my good books. She caught my frown and winked at me. "Don't worry, we're going somewhere else." Naomi paid the bill and in no time at all we were sat in a taxi. Naomi gave an address on the other side of town.

We were driven down an unfamiliar part of town. The taxi turned down what seemed to be a little back-street. Once there, we alighted outside of a restaurant that I had never seen before. Naomi paid the driver, before taking my hand and leading me inside. It was quite dark inside, and looked more like a seedy gentleman's club than a place to eat. Naomi led us over to a small leather sofa and we sat down. I looked uncertainly around at our surroundings. Naomi grinned at me.

"Yeah, they really need to rethink the decor, but trust me, the food here is great." She grabbed a couple of menus from the small table in front of us and handed me one. I opened it, noticing that Naomi didn't open hers. She was watching me to see my reaction. I glanced at the contents. Row upon row of desserts. The whole menu was made up of nothing but drinks and puddings. "This is a dessert restaurant" she told me. "That's pretty much all they sell, and they're fantastic." I grinned broadly at her before returning my attention to the menu. This was going to take careful deliberation.

In the end I couldn't choose between strawberry pancakes, or sticky toffee pudding. Naomi ordered both and said we could share them. We also ordered a cocktail each. When they arrived, we both tucked straight away into the desserts, forgetting our drinks for the moment. The pancakes were filled with fresh strawberries and topped with cream and chopped nuts. The toffee pudding was light and moist, and absolutely drowning in toffee sauce and thick, sweet custard. Both tasted absolutely divine. We savoured every mouthful, feeding spoonfuls of them to each other, and arguing playfully over who should get the last bite.

When the two plates looked almost clean enough to be put away, we sank back into the sofa to enjoy our drinks. I felt fit to burst. I had made an absolute pig of myself I was sure, but I didn't care. I smiled across at Naomi.

"Well for a first ever date, you've done a pretty good job" I told her. She beamed at me.

"Does this mean I get a second one?"

I made a big show of mulling that over, but Naomi could see I was just kidding around.

"Yes, definitely. But we really need to talk. You know, about everything..." I shrugged, not best sure how to phrase it. Naomi nodded.

"Okay, so come over. I'll cook something."

"You cook?" I asked, my voice sounding more surprised than I meant it to. Naomi rolled her eyes at me.

"Yes Em, I can cook. I'm pretty good at it, actually. So, tomorrow?" Then suddenly uncertain, she added "Unless that's too soon?" I assured her that tomorrow would be fine, and arranged to be round for seven o'clock.

* * *

All too soon, our date was over and we were sat in another taxi, this time outside the place that I had recently taken to calling home. We had been holding hands for the whole journey, and I didn't really feel like letting her go. We stared at each other, both wondering if the date was going to end in a goodnight kiss. Eventually, Naomi leaned closer and pressed her lips against my cheek.

"So, tomorrow then" she murmured as she pulled away. She didn't pull too far back before I tangled my free hand in her blonde hair, and pulled her in towards my lips. Like I said, no control. As my tongue slid into her mouth, I felt Naomi's hand reach up to stroke my cheek. Her other hand was still entwined with mine. I was vaguely aware of an exclamation from the driver. I slid one eye open as I felt Naomi's hand leave my face. Without turning towards him, she flipped the driver off, not once breaking from my lips. Eventually, we pulled apart, both of us gasping for air.

"Tomorrow then" I said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. I climbed reluctantly out of the cab, and walked towards the flat with a huge smile on my face. All things considered, I thought our date had been rather fucking wonderful.

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**Please let me know what you think!**


	27. Chapter 27

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**Well, I had hoped to get this posted before Christmas, but I think we all know how that turned out. I have been such a busy magician lately! Not complaining though - when you are self-employed, if you're not working, then you're not earning. Anyway, sincere apologies that I have not been reviewing all those wonderful stories out there as often as I would have liked. Things will be much quieter in January. So much so, that I might have to get a proper job. Boo! Anyway, I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas!**

**I'm not particularly happy with this chapter, but I needed to get something posted to get myself back into the swing of it. I can feel my attention begining to slip away... fortunately, I don't think there is too much left of this story. **

**Enjoy! Myrtle.**

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Chapter Twenty Seven

Naomi

I had been walking on air since my first date with Emily. If I do say so myself, it seemed that I was a natural at this dating lark. Everything had gone pretty smoothly, and I had got the promise of a second date, and even a rather lovely goodnight kiss for my troubles. Things were starting to feel more relaxed between us, and Emily seemed happy to give me a second chance.

I was busy stirring a pan of curry when the doorbell went, announcing Emily's arrival for our second date. We had the house to ourselves, as Mum had reluctantly gone out with Malcolm. She had tried to insist that he still wasn't well enough, but I think Malcolm was suffering from cabin fever. In the end, he had stood firm that the two of them were going out. I cast a final glance at the carefully set table: it all looked great. We have a perfectly functional dining room in this house, but it is huge. I much prefer the intimacy of the smaller kitchen for eating in, and it looked very picturesque in the light of the candles that I had set out. I quickly let Emily in, before leading her back to the kitchen.

"I just need to put the rice on" I explained over my shoulder to her. I set about putting the rice on to boil, whilst Emily set a bottle of wine down on the table. Once the rice was on the hob, I turned my full attention to Emily. She stepped up to me and slid her arms around my waist, pulling me into her. I gladly wrapped my arms around her, and met her lips with my own. It was a soft and tender kiss, and it left me with a smile on my face as we broke apart. Emily moved her lips down to nuzzle gently against my neck.

"Something smells good" she muttered.

"Chicken Jalfrezi" I told her. She raised her head from my neck, and smiled up at me.

"Yeah, that smells good too" she told me with a wink. I really couldn't help myself. I slid my hand to the back of her neck and pulled her lips back towards mine, this time deepening the kiss. As I felt rather than heard a moan escape from Emily, I came back to my senses. Reluctantly, I pulled back from her. My original efforts at chasing Emily had been all about getting her into bed. This time was different, and I wanted her to know that. I gave her a chaste peck on the lips, before moving over to the table to sit down. Emily sat in the chair opposite me.

"It's quite a coincidence, you making Chicken Jalfrezi" she told me with a smirk. "Because that's my favourite curry."

Bloody Panda! I had got her number from Cook, and texted her to ask what Emily's favourite curry was. I had asked her to be discreet, but my hopes had not been high. She had probably just asked Emily straight out what it was. Still, Emily seemed to appreciate my efforts, so I didn't grumble.

A few minutes later, we were tucking into our food. Emily was impressed by my cooking once I managed to convince her that it was all made from scratch, and not just from a jar. The conversation flowed easily between us, keeping the same flirty tone of a few minutes ago. It felt great to be like this with her, and I started to relax. I found myself telling Emily about my hatred of public transport.

"It's a shame you sold your car" she told me with a slight smirk. "Before we had a chance to… you know." I grinned back at her.

"Oh, it's not as fun as it looks. The seats don't go back very far, so it's a bit cramped, and you end up with your elbow on the horn, and…" Oh, stop talking you stupid fuck! The easy-going atmosphere dissolved in a moment, and I watched in horror as Emily's expression darkened. I stammered out a few more words, trying to retract the mess that I had just created. There was no point pretending that I didn't have a past, but talking about previous encounters was only going to make Emily wonder...

"How many girls have you been with?" She asked suddenly. Oh, shit. Please, anything but that question. Emily noticed my hesitation. "The truth, Nai." She stared at me, as though daring me to get out of this one.

"I don't know" I answered honestly. Emily frowned and seemed about to argue. I didn't give her a chance. "I've never kept count." As her eyes widened in surprise, I tried to defend myself better. "Do you know how many people you've been with?" I asked desperately. Surely I can't be the only one to lose track, right?

"Three" came her firm answer. Shit, three? Okay, so Emily was hardly the best person to ask in this case.

"Three?" I questioned. She nodded. "You mean, three men?"

"No, three including you." I lapsed into silence, not sure what else to say. Emily watched me closely. "More than ten?" She asked. Involuntarily, I gave a little laugh as answer. Emily frowned. "More than a hundred?"

"Fuck, no!" I answered quickly. It was definitely no where near that amount. "Not that many! Look, I don't know." I sighed, beginning to feel a bit boxed in. "I didn't keep count, because I didn't…" I let another sigh escape me, unsure what else I could say to explain.

"Because you didn't give a shit about them" said Emily, with a slight edge to her voice. I shrugged, and resolved on giving her the truth.

"No, I didn't." Emily raised her eyes up to meet mine.

"And you didn't give a shit about me, either. Not at first." I could hear the hurt in her voice, and wished silently that this excruciating conversation was over.

"That's not true" I told her as firmly as I could make my voice sound. "I couldn't admit it to myself at the time, but even from the start, it always meant something with you." Emily shook her head sadly.

"I was just a bet to you."

"No." I locked my eyes straight onto hers, willing her to see the truth that I needed her to understand. "I didn't tell Cook about us. I let him win the bet rather than tell him I'd slept with you."

"Why?"

I faltered slightly. In truth, I hadn't really known at the time why I hadn't just told Cook about us. He had asked me the same thing after he found out from Katie, and I couldn't answer him. But as I stared back at Emily across the kitchen table, the answer suddenly came easily to me.

"Because it felt too special to share with him." It may have sounded corny, but I knew it was the truth. Emily's expression softened just a little.

"When did you first fall in love with me?" She asked. Jesus, these questions weren't getting any easier, were they?

"Emily, I was fighting so hard against it that I didn't even realise I _had_ fallen for you." I thought carefully for a moment, before adding more. "But I suppose it was when we came back here after the wedding. We spent the afternoon together, just kissing and cuddling, do you remember?" Emily nodded. "I'd never really been like that with anyone before, but it was really nice. I loved every second of it." Finally, Emily smiled. A warm, gentle smile that reached her eyes.

After finishing dinner, we took our drinks through to the sitting room. We continued talking about everything that had happened between us. I had promised Emily the truth, and that was exactly what I gave her. Everything that she wanted to know, I answered as honestly as I could. I told her all about my mistaken beliefs about my mum, and my dad. I told her about Malcolm's trip to the hospital, and how it helped me to realise how wrong I had been about so many things. I described how the guilt of what I had done hit me, and the impact of that. And as eloquently as I could, I described how I had come to realise that I was head over heals in love with her.

As the night drew on, Emily began to talk about going home.

"Stay" I asked her. "Just to sleep. Please?" Emily shook her head.

"No, I can't. It's just..."

"It's okay" I interrupted hastily. I didn't want to push it. I wanted to take things completely at Emily's pace. "When can I see you again?" Emily sighed.

"Not tomorrow. Dad's taking me, Katie and James out for dinner. I'll text you."

I didn't like to leave our next meeting unresolved like that, but I didn't say anything more. Instead, I rang her a taxi. While we waited for it, I summoned up the nerve to explain something that I hadn't mentioned to Emily so far.

"Listen Em. I need to tell you something. College starts soon..." She opened her mouth to say something, but I had no intention of stopping. I held up my hand and she fell silent. "I'm going back to Uni, to do a Master's degree. It's in London." I left that hanging in the air for a moment. I watched Emily's face closely, and felt sure I saw the ghost of a smile cross it. A ball of uncertainty rose in my chest, but I swallowed it down for the moment. "I know that makes things harder, but I really want to keep seeing you. If... if you want to" I added hesitantly. Emily nodded, but didn't say anything. She seemed lost in thought. Eventually, the taxi driver beeping his arrival outside seemed to stir her. She smiled warmly at me, and pulled me towards her for a kiss. It was passionate, but all too brief. Then she left, repeating her promise to text me. As I closed the door behind her, I felt suddenly doubtful about what was happening between us. For one brief, unchecked second, Emily had seemed happy that I was going to be moving to London very soon. Triumphant, even. Had I imagined it? Or did Emily have some motivation going on that I wasn't aware of? I felt suddenly unsure of myself, as I found myself wondering what Emily's intentions were. I was well aware of the irony of that - my intentions had always been less than honourable, and now _I_ was the one feeling insecure.

* * *

The next night, I was lazing quietly on my bed at home. I was bored. I wished that I had asked Cook if he fancied going out to a club, but I had left it too late. I was just contemplating turning in for the night, when my bedroom door opened. I was surprised when Emily walked in - I hadn't even heard the front door. I leapt up from my bed, and she threw her arms around me. She pulled me immediately into a passionate kiss.

"What happened to your meal out?" I asked, when she eventually let me rise for air. Emily shrugged.

"Don't want to talk about it." As she pulled me into another blazing kiss, I realised that something wasn't quite right. Reluctantly, I pulled back from her. I led her to the bed and sat down next to her.

"Emily, what happened?" I asked. Emily just shrugged a second time, and moved in to kiss me again. She caught me off guard, and her tongue slipped easily into my mouth. Besides, stopping Emily from kissing me goes against the grain. But as her hand slipped under my t-shirt and started moving higher, I became aware of the taste of alcohol on her tongue. I moved my hands to her shoulders and gently but firmly pushed her back from me. She gazed at me through unfocused eyes.

"Don't you want me?" She asked with a frown. Yes! Screamed every inch of my body, but fortunately I was letting my brain take charge of this particular situation.

"Of course I do, but you're drunk and I think you're upset about something."

"Not drunk" she slurred, drunkenly. She certainly wasn't pallatic, but she was well past tipsy.

"Emily, what happened?" I asked firmly. Her eyes darkened, and I realised she was about to share.

"My fucking mother, that's all. I thought it would be just the four of us, but apparently, she insisted on going as well." She let out an exaggerated sigh. "She kept making little jibes at me all night, but then Katie let slip that I was still seeing you, and she went mad."

That woman was un-fucking-believable. As Emily described some of her mother's comments, I found myself feeling suddenly grateful for my own mother. Emily had done nothing whatever wrong, yet her mother had kicked her out of home. I had behaved like a heartless, selfish cow, and who had been there to help me pick up the pieces? Gina. Isn't that how a mother is supposed to behave?

As Emily talked on, her lusty intentions seemed to drift away. I was glad about that - resisting a full-on, horny Emily was incredibly difficult. I knew that I had to though. When we got back together, I wanted to be sure that it was only about us. I didn't want her to just be trying to fuck herself into a better mood.

"Why don't you stay here tonight" I suggested, as Emily was looking pretty tired. She nodded, so I found a baggy t-shirt for her to wear. I threw it to her, then left to get changed in the bathroom.

When I came back into the room, Emily was already under the covers of my bed. I slipped in to join her, and she snaked an arm across my waist.

"I'm sorry, Nai" she mumbled against my neck. I wrapped both of my arms around her, pulling her into me.

"For what?"

"For showing up like that, and dumping my shit on you."

I squeezed her tightly into me, before moving one hand up to stroke her cheek.

"I'm glad you came here. Besides, I wouldn't be much of a girlfriend if you couldn't tell me your problems, would I?" I felt Emily let out a little chuckle, then she placed a sloppy wet kiss on my throat.

"Girlfriend?" She asked with another chuckle. I felt my stomach clench in fear as I realised what I had said. It had just slipped from my lips like it was the most innocent word in the world. Girlfriend. Emily's girlfriend. _I _was Emily's girlfriend. I took a few deep breaths, and rolled that sentence around and around inside my head. Was it really as scary as all that? This was certainly uncharted territory for me, but as I held my drunken, adorable little red-head close to my body, I felt like I never wanted to let her go. Maybe 'girlfriend' wasn't such a scary word after all.

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**Please let me know what you think! All the best to everyone for 2011.**


	28. Chapter 28

**Thanks once again for those of you that took the time to review. I really do love getting reviews!**

**So this chapter kind of feels like just a stepping stone, but there's nothing wrong with a bit of fluff every now and then, right? Anyway the next chapter might follow in a couple of days - depending on how many reviews I get. Okay, I'm just kidding! I can't hold you all to ransom like that! But I've started writing it already. I had an idea for it that will not let me go until I write it down. No hints, but I hope you're going to like it.**

**But back to this chapter: Hope you enjoy!**

**Myrtle **

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Chapter Twenty Eight

Emily

When I woke up, it took my groggy head a few moments to work out where I was. I wasn't in my bed at Thomas and Panda's place, nor was I in my own bed back home. As I peered uncertainly at my surroundings, my eyes fell on the tousle of blonde hair on the pillow next to me. Naomi. I was at Naomi's house. With a jolt, my actions from the night before came back to me. Shit! I had turned up here pretty much trolleyed, before throwing myself at Naomi. God, why do I have to be so lame sometimes?

"Morning." Naomi's sleepy voice brought me back to the present. I smiled in reply, not really meeting her eyes. She stretched a hand out from under the duvet and gently caressed my cheek. "Em, look at me" she said, softly. I raised my eyes up to hers. "Are you okay?" She asked with such obvious concern.

"Yeah, I just..." I shrugged, trying to convey my feelings. "I'm sorry for showing up here like that."

"It's fine, honestly. I'm glad you did." Naomi's hand slid from my cheek to the back of my neck. Gently but firmly, she pulled me towards her for a kiss. It started off slowly, our lips moving against each others perfectly. Then Naomi slid her body closer to me in the bed. The kiss turned passionate, but just as I was wondering about my morning breath after so much alcohol the night before, Naomi moved her lips down to press hot kisses against my neck. I tilted my head back, and grabbed hold of her for all I was worth. I pulled her on top of me, and moaned as her thigh found it's way between my legs. The sound I made seemed to spur Naomi on. I felt her teeth graze against my neck, while one hand squeezed my breast firmly through the t-shirt I was wearing. My hands slid under her top, and I scratched my nails up her back. She raised her head up to look at me, and I saw how dark with desire her eyes had become. Before I could do anything further, I saw a frown cross Naomi's face, then she rolled off me onto her back.

"Fuck!" She tangled her hands in her hair, and took a few deep breaths. "God, Em. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

For a moment, I didn't say anything. I hadn't been about to stop what she was doing, but a small part of me was glad that she had stopped. _Not_ the part of me that's between my legs - that particular bit of me was screaming out in protest at the lack of pressure since Naomi's thigh was withdrawn. No, there was something at the back of my mind that was still making me want to take things more slowly. Something that Naomi must have caught sight of when she looked into my eyes. As my breathing returned to normal, I turned onto my side to look at her. She had her eyes closed.

"Nai, look at me" I said, mimicking her words from a few minutes ago. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes, then turned onto her side to mirror my position. I saw guilt in her eyes, and my heart went out to her. I knew how hard she had been trying to do everything right between us, and she clearly thought that she had just bollocked that up. "Look, I'm sorry, it was my fault" I told her. "I shouldn't have grabbed you like that. Besides, I showed up here last night and threw myself at you." I felt the familiar sensation of a prickly heat climbing up my neck, and I knew I must have turned bright red. Naomi chuckled at me.

"Yeah, you made it hard to resist you." She grinned at me, and I was pleased to see that she had relaxed a little. I took hold of her hand and squeezed her palm gently.

"Thanks" I told her. "For resisting" I added, when she frowned at me. She shrugged her shoulders.

"S'okay. I could tell it wasn't what you really wanted. Same goes for this morning. I want to wait until you're sure about it, and I want everything to be perfect."

I smiled, and pressed my lips chastely to hers. I didn't voice anything aloud, but the thought occurred to me that there was a danger of Naomi over-thinking things. I was glad that she was happy to wait, but I didn't want it to become a huge deal between us. Sex is supposed to be fun, after all. I inwardly resolved that whenever I was ready for us to be intimate again, I would make sure that it happened in a light-hearted way.

* * *

Once we were freshened up and dressed, we made our way downstairs. Gina was in her usual place at the kitchen table. She beamed happily at me, and I blushed at the memory of her startled face as she opened the door to my rather drunken self last night. She made no reference to it though, as she bustled about the kitchen sorting out mugs of tea. Instead she chatted away easily about the weather, and other bits of nothing.

It was a beautiful day so after something to eat, Naomi and I headed outside. Their garden is huge, and really well maintained. None of the family seemed like the green-fingered type to me, so I suspected they had a gardener or two who took care of it. Naomi led us to a section of lawn a little away from the house. We both dropped down, before sprawling comfortably back across the grass, within touching distance of each other. It was still fairly early, so the air smelt fresh. It was already quite warm, promising to be a hot day.

"So, did you want to talk about last night?" Asked Naomi suddenly.

I frowned up at the sky as I thought back over my evening out. Dad had arranged a couple of days ago that he would take the three of us out for a meal. I feared the worst as soon as I climbed into the car to see mum belted into the front seat. She greeted me with a polite coldness, that I mirrored. Katie leaned closer to me and whispered that mum had insisted on coming, and that dad had made her promise to be on her best behaviour. Well, if the evening consisted of her best behaviour, I would hate to see her worst. She started on me as soon as we were settled at a table. Nothing directly nasty, but all with an underlying snideness that I was sure I wasn't imagining. It was little digs about my upcoming course to begin with. She made it clear that she didn't see the point in my studies. What use could photography ever be, she had asked. Right: fashion, journalism, weddings, portraits, fine art. She had waved away my list like it was nothing. Dad then requested that she leave the subject, but she still made veiled references to it. I found myself topping up my wine glass more and more, just to stop myself from snapping at the woman. The tipping factor had come when Katie accidentally mentioned that I had been on a date the previous evening.

"I don't suppose it was with a nice _boy_ at all?" Asked mum, waspishly. I decided to bite the bullet. I was pretty certain that I was going to be seeing Naomi for a while longer at least - they may as well know that my date was with her.

"No, considering that I'm in love with Naomi" I answered firmly. Mum gasped in shock.

"You're not still seeing that... that..." Clearly, the English vocabulary just wasn't vast enough for whatever Naomi is. I sighed and closed my eyes. Winning my family round to see Naomi as suitable girlfriend material was going to be tough going. And that's just the ones that have no problem with me being gay. As for mum? Well, she would probably prefer me to date Fred West than any girl. Well, so long as he didn't introduce me to his wife, that is.

"Look, she's changed..."

"Emily, you're so naive. I told you that girl was trouble, and I was right. You're just trying to prove some stupid point, because you're so stubborn. I don't know where you get it from."

The rest of the night had dissolved into a row between mum and me. I tried my best to defend Naomi, but mum just wasn't going to listen. Eventually, I had stormed from the restaurant in anger, and walked the short distance to Naomi's house.

As I finished explaining it all to Naomi, I glanced across at her. She was leaning on her side facing me, and had a thoughtful expression on her face. I reached forwards and took her hand with my own.

"What?" I asked.

"It's all my fault."

"Of course it's not. My mum's just a bigot, that's all."

Naomi sighed softly.

"Yeah, but she's got good reason to hate me. If I hadn't of..."

"Naomi!" I sat up and stared intently down at her. "Look, you've made some mistakes, okay? But we can't go forward if you don't forgive yourself for them." She nodded, but didn't look convinced. "I have" I added.

Naomi swiftly rose from the ground to a seated position. She crossed her legs and sat facing me, a shy smile playing at the corner of her mouth.

"You've forgiven me?"

"Yes, you twat." I nodded, then smiled at her. I watched as her face cracked into a huge grin. Then she frowned, and stared down at her hands currently clasped in her lap.

"Right, 'cause I was thinking..." She cleared her throat nervously, before starting again. "Look, I said something last night, that I shouldn't have..."

I bit my lip, and swallowed back a sigh. Fuck, here it comes. I knew exactly what she was referring to. Last night, Naomi had inadvertently called me her girlfriend. In my drunken state I had only teased her about it, but I had not been too drunk to miss the way her whole body had stiffened against me as I did so. It reminded me of when I had first said I loved something about her, right before this whole mess had exploded in my face. Shit, was I going to have to tiptoe around any talk of commitment forever? Because I have no intention of doing that to myself. I took a deep breath, and decided to clomp straight in, instead.

"You mean when you called me your girlfriend?" I asked firmly. I stared at Naomi, willing her to look at me, but she still seemed fascinated by her hands.

"Yeah" she said with a shrug. "I shouldn't have assumed that, you know? I mean, I never even asked... I didn't really..." She scrunched her eyes shut and sighed, while I continued to stare at her. "Will you be my girlfriend?" She garbled out in a rush. So much so, that I almost missed what she said. Almost. A little knot of tension that I hadn't even noticed had been balled up in my stomach all morning, eased itself away. I smiled, and waited until Naomi opened her eyes. She stared at me, clearly nervous that I hadn't yet answered, and I was moved by the mixture of hope and apprehension that was in those beautiful blue eyes. I shifted myself onto my knees, and edged closer to her. I placed my hands on her shoulders, and pushed her back until she was lying flat on the grass. She stretched her legs out either side of me. I leaned closer, hovering above her, my lips barely a hairs' breadth away from hers.

"Naomi, I would _love_ to be your girlfriend" I whispered, before closing the gap between us and pressing my lips to hers. Naomi's arms wrapped around me, pulling me into her. Then she rolled us over until she was the one on top. She stared down at me, and gave me a smile that was so full of warmth.

"I love you" she told me.

"I know you do." My lips were already parted as she moved hers back to them. Her tongue slid straight to meet mine, and I savoured the taste of it. The kiss was slow and undemanding, but so full of passion. Naomi trailed her hands softly over my arms, my face, my sides. When she broke away, it was only to cover my jaw, my cheeks and my neck with gentle, sweet kisses, murmuring 'I love you' in between each one. I held her close to me, enjoying the feeling of being surrounded by her.

Eventually, Naomi pulled far enough back from me to look at me.

"Your mum won't be happy" she said sadly. She moved off me until she was lying by my side, our arms still touching.

"Naomi, my mum wouldn't be happy unless I was dating a guy. Seriously, I could date Maggie Thatcher and it wouldn't make her happy. And believe me, she thinks Maggie Thatcher was the best thing that ever happened to this country."

Naomi started to giggle.

"That doesn't surprise me" she said, before scrunching her face up in distaste. "Ew, imagine dating Maggie Thatcher?"

"I'd rather not, thanks!" I joined in with Naomi's giggles, before sliding my fingers into hers. "Listen, I don't give a shit what my mum thinks. Besides, we'll hardly see her when we're in..." I fell silent, suddenly realising that there was something I hadn't yet told Naomi. I had held back the fact that I would also be moving to London very soon, because I had still been unsure about what was happening between us. But now? Well, there were still no guarantees - when are there ever? But at least I knew that Naomi and I were moving in a forward direction. And I had meant it when I said that I had forgiven her. I slid onto my side to face Naomi, who had already done the same and was frowning at me. "My course is in London" I told her. "I'm going to be moving there too. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, I just wasn't sure..." I fell silent as Naomi's frown darkened. I held my breath as I watched my news sink in.

"Really?" She asked. I grinned, as I saw her half smile back in place. I nodded, and found myself beneath her once more, as she swiftly moved in to rain kisses down on me again. "Emily, that is the best news I've ever heard."

* * *

**So there we go. No promises, as always, but the next chapter _may_ just be up here soon. Let me know what you think! (Oh, and I promise: that's the last time I tease you with 'almost' smut. Well, maybe the last).**


	29. Chapter 29

**Wow! I was really blown away by the feedback for the last chapter. I was only kidding when I said this one would be posted quicker depending on how many reviews I got, but I think I might use that threat in future if that's the response!**

**There's very little left of this story now. The next chapter may even be the last (apart from an epilogue that I'm planning), but I won't know that until I'm writing it. The story was always going to end with the summer, and it's surely drawing to an end by now. I've lost track a little bit, but I think I've made August about 6 weeks long. **

**But back to this chapter, and it's a heavy one. It's a deep chapter, with lots of important plot revolutions, and some subtly nuanced character developments that er... hmm. Okay, I'll level with you: It's just smut. No really, that's pretty much all that this chapter consists of. I mean sure, it's vital to the plot, yadda yadda yadda... ****Now at times I have wondered if I should have gone with an 'M' rating for this story, and this is one of those times. You have been warned. **

**Hope you enjoy! Myrtle.**

* * *

Chapter Twenty Nine

Naomi

So I have to admit, I felt pretty fucking happy. Emily, my beautiful, funny, amazing girlfriend, is moving to London too. Oh yes: and I get to call her that now. Emily Fitch, my girlfriend. It's funny sometimes, how things can change. How the things that we run from can end up being the things that we need for our very survival. I can't deny that I'm still feeling overwhelmed by all of this. I won't tell you that I'm not still gripped by my old fears every now and then. But I will tell you that I'm determined not to run from this. Emily makes me happy, and long may that continue.

We spent the whole of yesterday morning lazing in the garden. We kissed and we talked, and we rolled around, and we kissed some more. I loved it. It really felt like the two of us had connected with each other once more. Especially when Emily told me that her course was in London. I felt a momentary pang at the realisation that she had kept that from me at first, but it didn't last long. What mattered was that she had told me now. I felt somehow that it meant that she was beginning to trust me again.

I had wanted us to spend the whole day together, but Emily left after lunch. We both had so much still to do for our respective moves to London. The summer was disappearing fast, and our courses would be starting very soon. I hadn't seen her since then, and I was keen for her return. It was just after seven in the evening when a small tap on my bedroom door announced her arrival. She walked in, clutching a six pack of lagers. She was dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt. I stood up, relieved her arms of the cans and threw them carelessly onto my bed behind me. I wanted Emily's arms to be better employed, and she clearly agreed with me. They snaked around my waist and pulled me in towards her for a kiss.

"Hey" I greeted, when we eventually drew apart.

"Hey yourself." Emily flopped down onto my bed and grabbed a can. We chatted easily for a while, each of us swigging from our cans. After a while, Emily reached into the back pocket of her jeans and brought out a deck of cards. I arched an eyebrow at her. Cards? Is she fucking serious? I had _hoped_ to spend the evening making out, not playing fucking 'Snap'. Emily just smiled, and settled herself more comfortably on the bed.

"Fancy a game of poker?" She asked. I sighed. Don't get me wrong, I like a game of poker every now and then, but with a group of players. Poker with only two players always seems a bit pointless. There are less cards in play and it's also harder to bluff when there's only one other person. Emily spotted my hesitation. "Come on, I'll show you how I used to play with Katie and James." She shuffled the cards, and started dealing them out with enthusiasm. I shrugged and decided to go along with it, since she seemed pretty keen.

The rules weren't difficult, but it wasn't a version of poker I was familiar with. It seemed to be some sort of simplified hybrid between draw poker and hold'em rules, but with no betting rounds. Emily explained that they had come up with this version of the game as kids, when they had wanted to play poker, but had nothing to bet with. We didn't seem to be betting with anything now, either. It all just seemed pretty pointless to me, as I laid my cards down to win the first round.

"So what does that mean?" I asked as I gathered the cards up. Emily shrugged.

"We just keep track of the score" she said as she slipped her socks off. I suppose it _was_ pretty warm in my room. "I promise you, it gets better" she said with a smirk. I tried to not roll my eyes at her, as I dealt out the next round. I felt sure I was going to get bored with this game pretty quickly, but I kept that thought to myself. It was lucky I did, because I could not have been more wrong.

After drawing cards from the stack, we showed our hands to reveal that I had won the second round. Suddenly, Emily sat up a little straighter on the bed. With a swift movement, she stripped off her t-shirt and dropped it on the floor. I stared with ill-concealed surprise at her nearly naked torso, before dragging my eyes up to her face. She was smirking at me.

"Okay, so this isn't _quite_ how I played it with Katie and James" she said with a wink. "But I told you it would get better." Holy fucking Jesus and all his little wizards: Emily Fitch is playing strip poker with me. Does life get any better than this? I grinned broadly at her as the game suddenly seemed a whole lot more interesting to me.

Emily dealt out more cards, and I peered at them with a much greater concentration than before. Despite this game being a win/win situation, as I stared at Emily's pert tits encased in a black lace bra, I felt determined to be the victor. We drew more cards from the stack, then showed what our hands were. I only had a pair of sevens, but I prayed that Emily couldn't beat that. She could, with three of a kind. She chuckled, and threaded her hands together behind her head to watch me strip. Damn, why was I not wearing socks tonight? Emily chuckled again, clearly guessing where my mind was going.

"Ah ha!" I exclaimed, as I slowly and deliberately unclipped my watch. I slid it from my wrist and waved it in front of Emily, before placing it on my bedside table. She rolled her eyes at me playfully.

"I suppose you think that's clever, do you?" She asked, with a rye smile.

"Oh yes" I answered, as I glanced at her unadorned wrists.

The next round fell to me.

"I got your jeans, Fitch!" I declared. I watched Emily hungrily as she undid her belt buckle agonisingly slowly. Oh fuck - her belt! She arched an eyebrow at me as she slid her belt through the loops of her jeans, then dropped it to the floor. I scowled at her in mock indignation. Emily just shrugged.

"Well if your watch counts, then so does that" she laughed. I cast a quick glance over her to make sure that I wouldn't get surprised like that again. There were no toe rings, anklets, ear-rings, or anything else that she could use to slow this down any further.

In the following round, neither of us could make much from our hands so it went to the highest card. Emily's Ace beat my Queen. Since I didn't have a belt on, it would have to be my shirt. Mimicking Emily's pace, I haltingly popped each button open from the top down. I watched with delight as Emily's eyes followed the path of my fingers, a look of pure lust etched across her face. As I eased my shirt back off my shoulders and down my arms, I saw her tongue dart out to moisten her lips. I was glad that I was sat down, because the sight of it made my knees feel weak. In that moment I wanted to take matters into my own hands and strip the rest of her things off for myself. I reigned the urge in though, because Emily was clearly enjoying our little game. And I have to admit that she wasn't the only one. Watching Emily's teasing glances, and anticipating what I might be about to see had me ridiculously turned on.

We paused briefly from the game to each crack another can open. Then I snatched up the cards, giving them a hasty shuffle before dealing them out.

"You're suddenly so enthusiastic about this game" remarked Emily with a jovial tone.

"Well, anything to please my Emily."

"_Your_ Emily?" A small, flirtatious smile appeared on her face. "I think I could get used to that."

I grinned at her, before turning my attention back to my cards. The grin remained in place when I noticed that I had a full house. This was bound to be my round. Sure enough, the best Emily could manage was a pair. With an elaborate sigh, she rose from the bed. She popped the button of her jeans open, before pausing to make eye contact with me again. A slow, very naughty smile spread across her lips. Fucking hell, this girl can be a tease when she wants to! Making sure she had my full attention - like what the fuck else would I be looking at? - Emily slid down the zip, then gently pushed the denim down her legs. I watched in awe as black lacy knickers, the matching counterpart to her bra, came into view. She stepped out of her jeans, then sat back down on the bed. I allowed myself a few moments to stare at the beautiful body now on show to me. God I had missed touching that skin. My fingers practically itched with the need to reach up and stroke across her gorgeous legs, or her perfect midriff. Instead, they reached for the cards that Emily had dealt.

Lady Luck herself must have been smiling on me, because I won again. I bit my lip as Emily tantalizingly lowered the straps of her bra down her arms one by one. She gave me a knowing smirk as she reached behind her and undid the clasp. I gazed in wonder as her exquisite tits finally emerged from their covering. Her nipples were stood to attention, but it certainly wasn't cold in my room. Both of us were breathing much deeper by now, our hunger for each other coming off us in waves. And did I say this game seemed pointless? It was anything but that.

"My face is up here" said Emily softly. I blushed slightly as I realised how much I had been perving, but Emily just smirked at me. She was clearly enjoying the effect she was having on me.

I dealt the cards out once more, before examining mine. I silently cursed my poor hand. Drawing more cards didn't help, and I ended up losing the round. As I lowered my jeans to the floor, Emily's eyes trailed over my whole body. I felt a rush of heat in my knickers at the sight of her watching me so closely.

With a little cry of triumph, I won the next round. Emily glanced down at the cards, before rising off the bed to her feet.

"I never was much good at this game" she said simply. I held my breath as she slid her knickers down to her ankles, before stepping out of them. Then she sat back down and picked the cards up again. I frowned. Surely the game was over?

"Er Emily, you're naked" I said, rather redundantly. "You've got nothing else to lose." She arched an eyebrow at me.

"There's one last round I can lose."

I wasn't exactly sure what she meant by that, but I knew for a certainty that I wanted to find out. I'm quite a competitive person normally, but this was one game that I was _desperate_ to win. Sadly, my luck deserted me. It was Emily's turn to watch as I removed my bra. I did it the same way she had - pulling the straps down slowly, before unclipping it and letting it fall to the floor. Once again, I was happy to see that she was staring at me with poorly disguised desire. Our craving for each other was becoming more tangible with every passing second.

The cards were dealt out once more, and all I can say is that Lady Luck must be a lesbian. As I claimed the round, Emily smiled coquettishly at me. She moved into a kneeling position on the bed, before sitting back on her calves. Then smoothly but slowly, she parted her legs wide, giving me a clear view of her beautiful pussy. I watched awestruck, as Emily raised a hand up to her neck. She trailed a finger gently over her collarbone, then stroked it down between her breasts. I eagerly watched her hand as it continued it's descent. She swirled her fingers lightly around her belly button, before continuing lower. Those fingers carried on until they were stroking through her soaking wet folds. They glistened as they became coated in her juices. I felt mesmerised, unable to do anything but watch Emily's hand as she stroked it softly against her clit. I swallowed audibly as she pushed a finger deep inside her pussy. Fuck me, late night poker was never going to have quite the same meaning ever again!

She let out a low moan of arousal, and it was that sound more than anything that spurred me into action. I moved closer, until I was on my knees right in front of her. I wrapped my fingers gently around her wrist to still the motions of her hand. Emily withdrew her finger from her pussy. I could feel the compliance in her wrist, so I raised her hand up. I took the finger that was coated in her juices between my lips and sucked it clean. She gasped as she watched me, and I realised how dark her eyes had become. I slid my free hand between her folds, feeling for myself just how wet she was. Emily closed the remaining gap between us and pushed her lips forcefully against mine. I kissed back with equal force, our tongues desperately moving against each others. I moved both hands up to her shoulders and pushed her back onto the bed. She straightened her legs out beneath me. Emily groaned as I pulled back from the kiss.

"Tell me you want this" I asked, searching her eyes for any lingering doubts. I couldn't see any. All I could see was lust, and love, and so much need. I felt sure that my eyes were reflecting all of the same.

"Fuck, yes Nai! I fucking want this!" She growled, the desire evident in her voice. "I want _you_" she added. That was it. There could be no more holding back. I kissed my way swiftly down her body, giving only passing attention to her tits. This wasn't a time for going slowly. I wanted to taste her, and make her scream out my name, and I wanted to do that right away. This wasn't what I had planned. My intention for our first time back together was to take my time and savour every bit of her, but there was no chance of that anymore. Emily's whole body was crying out for release right now, and all I wanted was to give her that release. I moved further down her body, and pushed her legs apart. I settled myself between them, and ran my tongue through her folds, feeling her hips buck up towards me. I held them down gently, and gave her clit the full attention of my tongue. I licked and sucked for all I was worth, driving her into a frenzy. She started to come almost straight away, her moaning and swearing only spurring me on. As she crashed over the edge, she cried out my name, and I loved the sound of it from her lips. I quickly moved back up her body, replacing my tongue with pressure from my thumb to bring her back down. I kissed her passionately, sliding my tongue straight between her parted lips.

As we broke apart, she gazed up at me with unfocused eyes. I wrapped my arms around her and simply bathed in the moment.

"Fuck, Nai!" She chuckled eventually. Then she frowned slightly. "But _you_ won the game - that was supposed to be _your_ prize." She rolled us over so that I was on my back, then kissed me. As her tongue moved deep into my mouth, her hand squeezed firmly at my breast. Then she pulled back and moved to slide my knickers down. I let her take them off, but I had no intention of letting her satisfy me just yet. I was going to go back to my original plan, and lavish attention on every last bit of Emily's body. I wanted to make her come again and again and again.

* * *

**Well, I hope you enjoyed that. Let me know what you think!**


	30. Chapter 30

**So, was chapter 29 hot enough for you? Got to admit, I was pretty happy with the feedback for that one. I gather that it was also tweeted about, which may explain the new readers that I seem to have gained, so thanks for that. Writing it was an _interesting_ experience though - I made the mistake of writing most of it just as my medication was kicking in. My meds sometimes make my heart beat faster. That, combined with what I was writing... I thought I was going to act out my own version of that scene from Alien!**

**Apologies for not getting this one to you sooner, but my head wasn't in the right place for writing. Still, the delay means that you can pretend you've forgotten the plot, and go back and read the last chapter again if you want to. Go on - no one's looking. **

**Anyway this isn't the last one, but the next one will be, apart from the epilogue. Oh, and there's a bit more sex in it. Nothing like the last chapter though - I don't think my heart could take it!**

**Enjoy! Myrtle**

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Chapter Thirty

Emily

As I woke up, the first thing I saw was blue. Naomi, still under the covers next to me, was leaning up on her elbow. She was staring straight at me. Normally I woke before Naomi, so I wondered if she had been awake for some time, just watching me. I gazed back at her, trying to discern what was running through her mind, but her face was unreadable.

"What?" I croaked out when she showed no inclination to speak. She paused for a moment before answering, her eyes tracing across every inch of my face.

"You've really forgiven me" she said at last. It was said softly, with almost a hint of wonder to it.

"Yeah, of course I have. I told you that" I answered with a smile. She grinned back at me.

"I know, but you really _showed_ me. Last night..." Her grin stretched wider. "You couldn't have been like that if you weren't _sure_."

Last night. Those two words brought a myriad of memories flooding back to my conscious thoughts. I had even surprised myself, last night. The game had seemed to me a perfect way of getting our relationship back to it's former intimacy, and so it had proved. I had wanted us to have fun. To move past all the guilt and the blame. I didn't want our first time back together to be about Naomi making things up to me. I just wanted it to be about _us_. Once we reached the end of the game, I didn't even think about what I did next. Naomi makes me feel so sexy. It's something that she has done from the start, and it is the one thing that I have never really doubted. I wanted to show her the effect she has on me. I had never in my life behaved so audaciously with anyone before, but last night it just came naturally to me.

"I'm sure" I told her, as I slid closer to her. I moved until I was lying on top of her, pressing her body back into the bed. I held myself up with my elbows resting either side of her on her pillow. Naomi's hands traced gently up and down my spine. We hadn't bothered to put any clothing back on when we had finally succumbed to sleep. I wasn't sure what time that was, but it must have been late. We had spent the better part of the night driving each other further and further into delicious bliss.

"I love you" said Naomi with a warm smile. I gazed back at her, marvelling at how easily she said those words. She had fought so hard against it, yet the words came readily from her lips now.

"I know you do" I answered, because I _did_ know. There was no room left for doubting, now. I could see the truth in her eyes and it dazzled me. "I love you too."

Naomi grinned broadly at me, and I suddenly realised that it was the first time I'd said it since she made her big speech to me. I leaned in closer, until our lips met. Our kiss was gentle, yet full of passion. I tried to put all the love I was feeling into that kiss.

It was a tender moment, but other feelings were bound to intrude. I was after all, lying naked on top of an equally naked Naomi, with our breasts pressed firmly together. Especially since her hands kept lingering longer towards the base of my spine, before moving upwards again. As my tongue slipped smoothly into her mouth, Naomi's hands moved straight to squeeze my bum. I shifted my weight so that I could bring one hand down to caress her breasts. As I firmly palmed one of them, I left her lips to attack her other tit with my mouth. Her nipples were stood to attention, and I teased one of them with my lips and teeth. Naomi's hands tangled in my hair, and I felt a low moan escape her. As I moved to give the same treatment to her other nipple, my hand slid down her body. I made soft, caressing movements across her stomach and her hips. My hand trailed down on the outside of her thigh, before making it's return journey on her inner thigh. I stroked my fingers across her pussy lips, feeling how wet she was. The memory of everything we had done last night was still so recent that our bodies were reacting immediately. I slid a finger deep inside of her and enjoyed hearing another moan from Naomi. With slow but firm movements I worked my finger into her, making sure that my palm kept sliding against her clit. I was just considering sliding down the bed to taste her, when I heard Naomi's breathless voice.

"Kiss me" she gasped, making my decision for me. I moved back up to reconnect our lips. The kiss deepened immediately. Naomi's hand moved to squeeze one of my breasts, before sliding lower down my body. I gasped as I felt her fingers pressing against my clit. They didn't stop there. Naomi pushed two fingers inside of me, causing a moan to escape my lips. I was already just as wet as she was, and the feeling of her gliding fingers was amazing. I added a second finger inside of her, and we began to move in harmony, finding the right rhythm, bringing each other higher. We exchanged breathless kisses, until the sensations began to overwhelm us, and kissing was no longer an option. I saw that Naomi was biting her lip in concentration, trying to hold herself back. I knew that I was really close though. As I felt myself teetering on the brink, I curled my fingers, pushing her over the edge as well. We both came hard, riding our orgasms together as the sensations ripped through us. It was simply breathtaking.

We lay still for a while, neither one of us withdrawing our fingers. As our breathing returned to normal, Naomi gave me a soft, lingering kiss.

"I love you" I told her as we broke apart.

"I love you too" she smiled back. Our bodies were still wrapped around each other in a tangle of flushed and sweaty limbs. I couldn't help thinking that this was a perfect way to start the day.

* * *

Much, _much_ later, we finally had to let the outside world intrude once more. We showered, got dressed and had some much needed breakfast, although the time of day really made it lunch. Then reluctantly, I had to leave. The time for our move to London was almost here, and I still had packing to do. So I soon found myself walking back through the door of Thomas and Panda's place.

"Out all night again?" Was Panda's greeting to me. She was sat by herself in the sitting room, idly flicking through a magazine. She tossed it aside and smiled at me with the look of someone who wanted to hear the gossip. I flopped into a seat. I felt weary after so little sleep (and so much sex), but ridiculously happy. "So things are good with Naomi?" She asked.

"Oh, they're better than good." I grinned at her, feeling sure that all my emotions must be showing on my face. Evidently, they were.

"Sounds like someone's been doing the humpty bumpty!" Said Panda, clapping her hands together. I laughed at Panda's choice of phrase, but the grin on my face made all denials impossible.

We talked on for a while. Panda made a willing listener as I rambled on about my feelings for Naomi. It was lovely to talk about her to someone who was so genuinely happy for me. I was really going to miss Panda once I was in London.

"Listen, thanks for letting me stay here" I said at last. "I really appreciate everything you and Thomas have done for me."

"It's been great having you here. I'll miss you when you move out."

"Yeah, right!" I said with a chuckle. "The last thing a couple of newly weds want is an extra person living with them. You two will be playing 'naked twister' in the front room the second I leave!"

"Naked twister?" Panda laughed, but I couldn't shake the feeling that she sounded rather intrigued as well. As grateful as I was to them for letting me stay, I really felt relieved that I would soon have my own space!

* * *

Eventually, I decided that I could no longer put off going home. I still had some stuff there that I needed to get before I could go to London. I texted Katie to check that she was home. That way I would at least be sure of some moral support if mum was around. Katie texted back that she would come and pick me up in the car. Fuck. If Katie has use of the car, it probably means that mum _is_ at home.

Sure enough, as I walked into the house, I saw mum sitting as straight-backed as ever in the sitting room. I barely even made eye contact with her. I had decided just to ignore her as much as possible while I was here. Fortunately, dad was also home. He rose to his feet and walked towards me. He pulled me into a tight 'Fitch hug'.

"How are you, love?" He asked.

"I'm great thanks" I answered as I wrapped my arms around him, revelling in the feeling of it. No matter how old I get, a hug from dad will always give me comfort. He let me go, and gazed into my eyes.

"And you're still seeing..."

"Naomi, yes" I answered. I could hear the concern in his voice, but I knew that he was just worried that I might get hurt again. "She's changed, dad." I hated him being uneasy about me, especially when I was so happy. I wanted him to understand how important she is to me now. "I trust her" I added. I heard a snort at that from Katie, but she had the good grace to try and disguise it as a cough. I turned so that I could face both her and dad at the same time. "Listen: she's different now. She really is sorry for what she did, and she's trying really hard. She's going to be in London too, and we're going to keep seeing each other, so I would appreciate it if you both try to give her a chance. I love her, and she loves me. I _know_ she does."

Dad looked thoughtful at my words. He nodded slowly.

"Yeah Emsy, we will. Since she means that much to you." He turned to face Katie. "Won't we, Katiekins?" He said with emphasis. Katie looked solemn.

"I suppose so" she huffed. I smiled at them both and gave my dad another hug. Then I went up to my room to get my stuff together. It occurred to me that mum hadn't said a thing during my whole exchange with Katie and Dad. Since I hadn't even looked at her, I had no idea what her thoughts might be.

After packing up everything that I needed from my room, I walked along to James' room to say goodbye to him.

"Hey knob-head" I said affectionately. He was playing on his playstation. He swivelled in his chair to see me, but didn't get up.

"Hey lezzer" he said with a grin. "All packed?"

I held up my holdall as answer.

"I probably won't see you before Christmas, so..." I crossed the room quickly and pulled James into a hug before he had chance to escape me. As I let him go, he playfully swatted my arms away.

"Yeah, bye muff-lover" he said, turning his attention back to his game. I ruffled his hair, and left him to it.

As I walked back into the sitting room, mum and dad were stood together having a hushed conversation. They stopped abruptly when they saw me.

"Right, well I'd better..." I began, but I stopped when mum cleared her throat.

"Emily, I don't want you to..." She paused and looked awkwardly at dad, who nodded his encouragement. "I don't want us to part on bad terms. I'm sorry for... for the way things have worked out between us."

"The way things have _worked out_ between us? Mum, you kicked me out!"

"No, I didn't think you would actually _leave!_ I just thought you would..." She shrugged, and her gaze fell to the floor, avoiding my eyes.

"Thought I would what? Stop being gay?" I sighed in frustration at her. Dad stepped forward and began pleading for a truce between us. I knew how much he hated this friction, so for his sake I tried to let my anger go. "Mum, I'm gay" I said, looking straight at her. "If you can accept that, and accept Naomi as my girlfriend, then we've got nothing to argue about. If you can't, then I can't be around you anymore."

She stared back at me for a moment, while I wondered what the outcome was going to be. Eventually, she nodded.

"Okay" she muttered with a shrug. It wasn't much, but at least it was a start. I really didn't want us to part on bad terms either, so I moved forward and kissed her cheek. I knew it was less than dad wanted, but it was more than I felt mum deserved for the way she had been treating me. "Bye mum" I said simply. I waved to dad - since he was driving me and my stuff to London, we would have a chance for a longer goodbye then - before grabbing my bag and stepping outside after Katie.

* * *

We drove back to Panda's place in silence. As Katie parked the car, I turned to face her. I opened my mouth to speak, but she beat me to it.

"So Naomi's moving to London too, is she?"

"Yeah, she's doing a course as well."

Katie nodded, and looked as if she was choosing her words carefully. She had promised to give Naomi a chance, but I knew she would still have more to say on the subject.

"You're not moving in with her?" She asked, her displeasure at the idea evident in her voice.

"No. I've got a place in the halls of residence." It was the truth. Naomi and I hadn't even talked about moving in together in London - it was way too soon for anything like that.

"I said I would give her another chance, and I will. But..." Katie pointed a finger at me, as her voice became more forceful. "Tell her from me that if she hurts you again, I will track her down and rip her limb from fucking limb, okay?" I sighed inwardly at Katie's predictability, but just nodded. "'Cause I'll be checking" she added suddenly. "I'll be visiting often, just to you know, like, check that she's treating you right."

I couldn't stop a large smile from spreading across my face at that. I leaned forwards and pulled Katie into a tight hug.

"I'll miss you too" I told her.

I felt a little sad watching Katie drive away. We've never been very far apart from each other until now. I know that London isn't all that far, and we'll still see each other often, but it's not quite the same. Still, I had no regrets about what I was doing. This photography course was about me taking control of my own life. Doing what I want to do, not what's expected of me. And knowing that Naomi was going to be there by my side made everything perfect. I didn't know what was coming around the next corner, but that thought just filled me with excitement. The future was full of possibilities, and I knew that I would be exploring them with the most beautiful, sexy, passionate woman that I had ever met.

* * *

**Let me know what you think!**


	31. Chapter 31

**This space intentionally left blank.**

* * *

Chapter Thirty One

Naomi

I sighed softly to myself as I looked at the boxes of stuff meant to go with me to London. For the third time, I removed the six packets of Jaffa Cakes, and the year's supply of tea-bags that mum kept repacking.

"I'm going to London mum, not the far end of nowhere" I told her, as I replaced them on the kitchen counter. "There _are_ shops you know."

"Yes, but it will save your money" she insisted, whilst putting three boxes of cereal where the Jaffa Cakes had just been. I rolled my eyes at her. Her logic was sound, except for one small factor: if I ran out of money, I would simply make a withdrawal from 'The Bank of Malcolm'.

"Yes, but I'd rather not take so much. It's only a small kitchen."

"Fine, fine!" Mum picked up the cereal and started putting it away in the cupboard. "I just want to make sure you're well fed, that's all."

I smiled at her, feeling my grumpiness dissolve in an instant. I knew that her fussing was just because she was going to miss me. And truth be told, I was going to miss her too. It was a far cry from when I first moved to London for my degree. I could hardly wait to get away from her back then. But things had really improved between us over the last couple of months, and I had a new found appreciation for her. Seeing how Jenna's actions had hurt Emily made me recognise that there were _much_ worse parents out there than Gina. Besides, I had done a lot of growing up recently, and realised just how selfishly I had been acting to those around me. I walked up to mum, and wrapped my arms around her - something that I hadn't done in a long time.

"What are you after?" She asked suspiciously, but the smile on her face showed that she was only joking. I let her go and shrugged, feeling suddenly awkward about my uncharacteristic display of affection.

"Just gonna miss you" I mumbled. Mum smiled warmly back at me.

"Emily is a good influence on you." She reached up and gently tucked a strand of my hair back behind my ear. "It's nice to see you so happy." The mention of Emily had me grinning broadly.

"Yeah, I am happy" I said, as I thought about how lucky I was that Emily had been able to forgive me. "Things are great between us."

"Oh, I know they are" answered mum with a wink. "It's lucky you're moving out, or we might have had to get your bedroom sound-proofed." With that she sauntered from the room, leaving me alone with the embarrassing realisation that my reunion with Emily had been overheard. For fuck's sake, why did mum have to share that particular piece of information with me?

There were some things that I definitely _wouldn't_ miss about my mother.

* * *

I couldn't return to London without having one last binge session with Cook. Besides, I felt a little guilty that I had been neglecting him while I sorted things out with Emily. So, as predictably as ever, we were sat in Keith's pub getting shit-faced.

"More drinks!" Yelled Cook in the general direction of the bar. The bar-maids were well used to his ways, so another round of drinks arrived at the table without complaint. Cook scooped up a pint and lounged back into his chair. "So, my favourite muff-muncher is off back to the Big City. Are there any women there that you haven't fucked yet?"

"Yes" I answered, pointedly. "But I don't want that anymore." My words reminded me of our conversation in this very same place at the beginning of the summer. The day when Cook first mentioned that Emily and Katie were working at the gym. I had told him that I was bored with screwing girls in nightclubs, and wanted something more. Even though I hadn't been looking for love, I knew then that there was something missing from my life.

Cook bellowed with laughter.

"Yeah, 'cause you're all loved up with Emily!" He took a huge swig of his drink, and seemed oblivious that more of it ended up on his shirt than in his mouth.

"I _am_, Cook" I told him with all the seriousness I could muster. "She's my girlfriend now." Cook grinned and waggled a finger at me.

"Yeah, but you're off to London. While the cat's away, it can fuck like a rabbit!"

I frowned for a moment, struggling to comprehend Cook's strange blend of animal sayings.

"No, Cook. This thing with Emily - it's the real thing. I won't mess it up. I _can't_ mess it up." I stared at him, hoping that he would understand that what I have with Emily is serious. At last, he seemed to get it.

"You really love her" he said gently.

"I really do" I told him with a nervous smile. Discussing feelings with Cook was new territory for both of us. "Besides, Emily's going to London too so even if I wanted to, I couldn't fuck around." I watched the surprise to that news register on Cook's face.

"Wow, you're like - in a fucking _relationship_, Naomikins! I never thought I'd see the day!"

"Me neither" I answered with a grin. Cook frowned and looked deep in thought for a moment. When he spoke, he seemed to be choosing his words carefully.

"So, what's your secret then?" He shrugged awkwardly, and seemed embarrassed. "Katie won't give me the time of day" he added.

I sat back in my chair and studied Cook closely. I knew that he really liked Katie, but did his feelings for her go beyond that? I had been so wrapped up in getting Emily back that I hadn't even considered that Cook had been on the receiving end of some anger too.

"Just be honest with her, Cook" I advised. "Keep telling her how you feel, and maybe she'll start to listen." Fucking hell, would you listen to me? Barely one week into the only adult relationship I've ever had, and I've turned into Claire Fucking Rayner! I opened my mouth to add more, but Cook was no longer listening to me. I followed his gaze, and saw that it was fixed on a very busty brunette in a tight top, occupying a table at the other side of the room. Honestly, the man has the attention span of a goldfish! When he turned back to face me, his face was split by a massive grin.

"You don't get many of _those_ to the pound" he said as he waggled his eyebrows. Well I guess he's not _that_ cut up over Katie. I smirked at him.

"What?" He asked.

"I thought we were talking about Katie?"

Cook shrugged and suddenly looked defeated.

"Ah, what's the point? She won't listen to me. You know, I even offered to give her the fifty quid from the bet, but she went mental."

I stared open mouthed at Cook to see if he was kidding, but he seemed to be in earnest.

"You offered to give her fifty quid 'cause you slept with her?" I asked, incredulous. He nodded.

"Yeah, but she took it totally the wrong way. I just meant her to see that I would have happily fucked her _without_ the bet." He looked so serious that I swallowed the laugh that was threatening to rise from my throat.

"And yet she _still_ resisted you" I said instead. Cook nodded solemnly, my sarcasm sailing straight past him.

"You've got something really special there with Red. Don't fuck it up." He stared at me, and I could see that he was being sincere. I nodded my agreement, while Cook downed the rest of his pint in one gulp. Then he threw his head back and howled, signalling an end to serious conversation.

* * *

The next day was fixed for my journey to London. Malcolm took me and my stuff there in his car, and mum had insisted on coming along. Progress through my final packing was slow, due to the enormous hangover I had. It had therefore been well into the afternoon before I arrived at my flat. I was staying at the same place that I had lived in while I was doing my degree. I had been lucky enough to find somewhere that wasn't a complete dive, so I was happy to return there.

Mum and Malcolm didn't stay for very long. As they left, mum wrapped me up in a huge hug.

"Now there's this new invention called a phone…" I rolled my eyes at her sarcasm, but I promised her that I would ring her every once in a while. "Look after yourself" she said with a smile. "And look after Emily. She's the best thing that's ever happened to you, so I don't want to hear that you've fucked it up again."

What the fuck is this? Why does everyone seem so convinced that I'm in danger of fucking things up again? I assured mum that I had no intention of fucking up, and after more entreaties from her that I call more often, Malcolm finally persuaded her to leave.

I sighed into the empty apartment. I had briefly met some of my new flatmates earlier, but no one was around now. I walked into my room and sank down on the bed. Half-heartedly, I began unpacking my stuff. I found my ipod and its dock first, and set some music playing. My mind wandered to Emily, and I wondered how she was getting on. She had also moved today, but we had agreed not to contact each other on the first night so that we could each get settled in. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but I was wishing that we hadn't made such an agreement, now. I picked up my phone. Surely texting her didn't count, right? But after staring at my phone for five minutes, wondering what to type that wouldn't make me sound like a clingy girlfriend, I gave up. I tossed my phone aside and launched with some effort into the rest of my unpacking.

After sorting my room out and getting something to eat, I realised that Emily had barely been out of my thoughts all day. Quite simply, I missed her. Even though it wasn't long since I'd seen her last, I longed to see her, to talk to her, to touch her. I chuckled to myself as I realised how much of an impact she has had on me in the short time I've known her. I never thought that I could ever feel such need for another person. And I'm not just talking about sexual need. Yes of course the sex with Emily is incredible – the memory of her teasing me after our game of poker the other night will stay with me for a _very_ long time! But what I feel for her is so far beyond just sex that it takes my breath away. It is pure and passionate, and scary and safe all at the same time.

So I crumbled. But then, what else could I do? I grabbed my phone and dialled Emily's number. I heard a beautiful chuckle coming from her as she answered.

"I thought we weren't going to speak to each other today?" She asked. I could tell from the tone of her voice that she was pleased I had rang though. I thought about pretending that I was simply calling to see that she was okay, but instead I opted for the truth.

"I miss you. Can I come over?" I heard Emily laugh softly, and I found myself grinning at my phone.

"Can't stay away from me, eh? It's alright, I'll come to you. I'll see you soon, okay?"

About five minutes after ringing off, Emily arrived. As soon as the door closed behind her, I pulled her into a passionate kiss.

"Nice to see you too" she murmured as we drew apart. "Now do I get the tour?"

I frowned at her.

"The tour?" It was a pretty small place. There wasn't that much to see, really.

"Yeah, you know. The kitchen, the bathroom…" Emily gestured vaguely around her. "Your bedroom." Her voice dropped to an alluring huskiness on the final word. My eyes locked on hers and the drafty corridor suddenly felt so much warmer. I took her hand and led her to my room, silently thanking my mother's forethought for making the bed earlier.

"So how'd you get here so fast?" I asked as Emily lay back on my bed. I had already worked out the route between our places and I was sure it was more than a five minute journey. Emily blushed.

"I might have already been in the area" she said with a nervous little smile.

"You were on your way to see me when I rang?" I asked. Emily gave a small nod, and stared down at the duvet, avoiding my gaze. My heart swelled as I realised that Emily had been just as anxious to see me as I was to see her.

"I love you." It tumbled out of my mouth without any thought. I didn't _need_ to think about it anymore – my love for Emily was so much a part of me now. Emily raised her eyes to meet mine. They were so full of love and adoration for me, that I couldn't look away. How could anyone think that I could fuck this up? Mum was right: Emily is the best thing that's ever happened to me. She saved me from my cold, solitary existence, and all I want is to keep on showing her just how much she means to me. I climbed onto the bed next to her, watching as she slowly undid the buttons on her shirt. I guess 'showing her' starts right now.

* * *

**So there we go, the end. Well sort of. As I've already indicated, there will be an epilogue coming soon. It will skip into the future to show where they are in about a year's time.**

**By the way: Claire Rayner was a TV agony aunt. As far as I know, her middle name was not 'Fucking'.**

**Let me know what you think! Myrtle.**


	32. Epilogue

**Here we go. Did someone order the 'Mega-Happy' ending? I do hope so, cos there's plenty of fluff coming your way. This takes place over a year later from when Emily and Naomi moved to London. It's set in about October.**

**There is one bit in here that is pretty similar to something that Hyperfitched did recently in 99 problems. I had this written before she posted that though - it's just one of those coincidences were two people think up a similar idea. It's not really that surprising, given that it's a pretty memorable line from the show. I kept it in, because it's only one small part of the whole chapter.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy!**

**Myrtle.**

* * *

Epilogue

Emily

"Naomi, will you hurry the fuck up? We should be on the road by now." A grumbled, indiscernible reply came back to me. I sighed softly to myself and climbed into the passenger seat of our battered old Fiesta. It was Friday afternoon. We had both left work early, in order to get to Bristol before the rush-hour traffic. We had packed a bag the night before, specifically to avoid any last minute panic such as this. But Naomi had got herself into a flap about something and wasn't in the best of moods. If I didn't know any better, I would say that she was stalling for time. I could hardly blame her, really. A family dinner at my parents house was not her favourite way to spend an evening. But it was my dad's birthday, and we'd promised to be there.

Eventually, Naomi emerged from the building and climbed into the car.

"Did you lock the door?" I asked.

"Yes." Naomi frowned and turned to look at me. "Why do you ask? Didn't I?"

"I wasn't watching" I said with a shrug. Naomi continued to frown, and I could tell that she was trying to remember if she had locked the door. "Naoms, I was just checking, honestly. You must have."

"You've put doubt in my mind now" she huffed. Before I could say anything more, she got out of the car and ran back to the flat. What is up with her? She's been acting distracted like this for the past couple of weeks. I hoped it was just the thought of this weekend. It was our first time going back to Bristol since we had moved in together, and we were staying for the whole weekend. Not to mention that Naomi was going to have to spend the whole evening in my mother's company. Mum had mellowed somewhat over the past year, but she and Naomi were never going to be best friends.

Naomi climbed back into the car, grumbling under her breath that she _had_ locked the door. She turned the keys in the engine, and the car spluttered a little before falling silent.

"Oh, this fucking thing" she muttered. She tried turning the engine over again, but it wasn't responding.

"Don't swear at it, you'll hurt it's feelings."

Naomi arched an eyebrow at me and smirked.

"Emily, it doesn't have feelings, it's a car."

I grinned, and leaned across her to try starting it myself. Naomi always lost her patience with it, but usually a gentle touch worked much better.

"Come on, Fiesty" I said as I turned the key. The car revved into life. As I sat back in my seat, Naomi turned to face me.

"Fiesty?" She asked, sounding incredulous. "Emily, it's a car, it doesn't need a name."

"Oh yeah? What about 'The Pussy Wagon'?"

Naomi grinned back at me.

"You know it was Cook who called it that."

I just smiled back at her, pleased that her mood seemed to have lifted. I didn't fancy making the whole journey to Bristol with a narky Naomi. She put the car in gear, and began to drive, leaving our flat behind for the weekend.

It was after our courses finished that we had decided to move in together. We both wanted to stay in London, and the topic of living together came up quite naturally. In truth, we had hardly spent a night apart from each other since moving to London. Usually we only did so if we had argued with each other. Not that rows were common, but there had been a few. At first I had been jealous whenever a former 'conquest' of Naomi's showed up. To begin with, it seemed as if we were tripping over them in every bar. But I had known about Naomi's past, and she had never, in all our time in London, given me reason not to trust her. At other times, Naomi closed herself off from me and acted like she didn't want me around. I had to keep reminding myself that a relationship was still new territory for her. Nothing ever lasted for long though, and one of us would show up at the other one's flat the next day, full of apologies. The row would be forgotten, usually along with college, as we stayed in to have explosive make-up sex all day.

We had been lucky to find an affordable flat quite quickly. It had the approximate surface area of a large shoe-box, but it was ours and we loved it. The rent was easily managed since we were both working now. I was working as a photographer's assistant. It wasn't what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, but it was a great way to learn more about the industry. I was building up my own portfolio, and had even sold one of my own photos on a freelance basis. Naomi was working in local government. Again, it was just in an entry level position, but I knew that her passion and abilities would soon get her noticed.

* * *

Just over two hours later, we pulled up in front of my parent's house. I glanced across at Naomi, who had suddenly gone quiet. She had her eyes closed and seemed to be stealing herself for what was to come. I reached across and squeezed her hand in mine.

"Come on, my family like you now" I said. It was mostly true. Dad had always got on well with Naomi when she had worked at the gym. He had really made the effort to accept her as my girlfriend, and they often bantered easily with each other. Katie's opinion towards Naomi had really softened. Though that may have more to do with the fact that she is now dating Cook, however unlikely a relationship that seems. My brother James loves Naomi, although he probably couldn't even tell you what colour her eyes are, since he has yet to lift his gaze from her cleavage when in her presence. As for mum, I think my moving away had really opened up her eyes. She missed me, and suddenly seemed to realise that if she wanted me in her life, she would have to change her behaviour. It was a gradual thing, but things were a lot better now.

"Even my mum talks to you now" I reminded Naomi. She grinned at me.

"Yes, and who knows? Maybe in another year's time, she might even _look_ at me while she talks to me."

I leaned closer and pecked Naomi on the lips.

"We can't expect miracles" I answered. "Come on. Be nice to my family, and we can play the 'Vampire Slayer Game' when we get home." I winked at her, before climbing out of the car. As Naomi emerged from the car, I pressed the doorbell. She came up behind me and slid her arms around my waist.

"Okay" she whispered in my ear. "But it's your turn to be Faith."

The door was thrown open to reveal dad's grinning face. He wrapped us both into a 'Fitch hug' before we could even get our coats off. Behind him, mum emerged from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a tea towel. Her greeting was less warm than dads. She hugged me whilst giving what I'm sure she thought was a smile, but was actually closer to a grimace, to Naomi. The next few minutes were spent greeting everyone, giving dad his present and wishing him a happy birthday.

Soon, we were all sat round the table as mum brought through dish after dish from the kitchen. At least with all this much food, some of it was bound to be part way edible. As mum sat down, Katie frowned across at Naomi.

"What's she doing here?" She asked.

"Hey, Naomi's my girlfriend!" I reminded her. Katie sighed dramatically.

"I didn't mean she shouldn't be here." She turned her frown towards mum. "You said Cook couldn't come 'cause it was family only."

"But he's _staff, _Katie!" Said mum with a hint of distaste. I could sense Naomi's body stiffening beside me, but she didn't say anything. It was typical of mum. She loved to think of herself as upwardly mobile, in terms of class. She thought of us all as middle-class, and had conveniently forgotten hers and dads own working class backgrounds. I had often suspected that her change in attitude towards Naomi was in part due to discovering that she has a wealthy family. Having an accountant for a father was very 'well-to-do' in my mother's eyes.

"He's my boyfriend, mum!" Argued Katie.

Mum sighed, like she had to explain something obvious to a small child.

"This is a six seater table, Katie. What would you have me do?"

Katie continued to grumble about it for a minute or two, but otherwise dinner passed by without too much incident. The evening passed quickly by, and soon it was all over. I had promised mum that I would stay over, and Naomi had promised her mum the same, so we had to spend the night apart. We had a lingering goodnight kiss in the hallway. James did his best to spy on it, but Katie quickly dealt with him for us.

"I'll miss you tonight" said Naomi as she stroked her thumb gently across my cheek.

"When did you get so mushy?" I asked with a giggle. She bit her lip and gave me a little smile.

"I guess you just bring it out in me." She leaned closer and kissed me again. "I'll pick you up at midday tomorrow" she said as we broke apart. I was about to ask what we were doing tomorrow, but she rapidly kissed the question away. Then she opened the door and stepped out into the cold night.

"Oh, and wrap up warmly" she added, before climbing into the car. Clearly Naomi had something planned for the next day, and for whatever reason, she didn't want me to know just yet.

When I turned back around, Katie was lingering in the hallway.

"Thanks for dealing with the perve" I told her.

"It's okay." She stared at me with a thoughtful look on her face, before eventually adding: "It's the real thing between you two, isn't it?" She nodded in the direction of the door that Naomi had just left through. Well it's only taken a year, but finally Katie realises that this thing with Naomi is serious.

"Yeah" I told her with a smile.

"I'm happy for you." I could tell that her words were genuine. I stepped towards her, and pulled my sister into a hug.

"So what about you and Cook?" I asked. I pulled back far enough to see Katie's face.

"It's good fun" she said with a smile. "He's got a big cock - though I guess that doesn't interest _you_ anymore."

I laughed at her answer. I knew it wasn't the real reason she was seeing Cook - Katie often pretends to be shallow, but it's all just an act.

"I thought you said that sex with Cook was 'bumpy'?"

"Yeah, well." Katie shrugged as a smirk flitted across her face. "That was at first. He's very... cooperative."

I chuckled and shook my head, trying to lose the image of Katie barking out instructions while in bed with Cook.

I felt ready to turn in for the night, so I said goodnight to everyone then went to my old room. My mind drifted back to my lingering goodnight kiss with Naomi. I may have been spending the night without her, but I still went to bed with a smile on my face. Things between us could hardly be better. We had grown closer and closer over the past year, everything that had happened in that time only serving to make our relationship stronger. I can honestly say that I've never felt happier in my life. Naomi is the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I can't imagine anything without her by my side.

* * *

Naomi

Dinner had passed by rather pleasantly, which really took me by surprise. James was a complete pervert of course, but I already knew that by now. He had sneakily tried to watch mine and Emily's goodbye kiss, but Emily had spotted him. Then she said some gobbledygook about pyjamas (or something like that) to Katie, who was just coming down the stairs at the time. In response, Katie clouted James around the head, somehow managing to make it look like an accident. I'm telling you: that girl has an amazing ability for casual violence. I am truly in awe.

The food was shit, but fortunately mum had a large, tasty supper ready for me when I got back to her place. I spent time catching up with mum and Malcolm, before turning in to bed with probably a happier stomach than anyone in the Fitch household. I didn't sleep much though, because I was a bag of nerves. I had a big day planned for tomorrow, and I just hoped that everything would work out okay. I had gone through all the details again with mum and she assured me that everything would be fine.

* * *

The next morning, I showered and dressed quickly. I had a hastily snatched breakfast, before heading out to the shops to buy some things. Then after checking several times that I had everything I needed, I headed over to pick Emily up. She must have been watching out for me, because she was out of the house to greet me before I had a chance to get out the car. I had only been away from her for one night, but I knew that my face must have lit up on seeing her. She climbed in and gave me a lingering kiss.

"Where are we going?" She asked with suspicion when we eventually broke apart. I just smiled at her and shook my head.

As we drove, Emily kept trying to find out what I had planned. She asked question after question, clearly hoping that my patience would snap and I would tell her everything. But I was just amused by her efforts, so they didn't get her anywhere. As the journey brought us closer to the lake, Emily suddenly realised what our destination was. She grinned broadly at me, pleased that I had remembered the place that meant so much to her.

I parked up, grabbed some things from the boot and we made our way through the trees to the little clearing we had been to once before. I spread a blanket down on the ground and gestured for Emily to sit down. It was a chilly day, but it was at least dry. I set about starting a fire, and pretty soon managed to get a decent blaze going. Then I sat down next to Emily and took in our surroundings. It looked a different place at this time of year. Autumn was very much in evidence in the golds, browns and reds of the trees. It was simply beautiful. I let out a contented sigh, and wrapped my arm around Emily. She cuddled closer into my side and stretched an arm around my waist. I slipped my free hand into the pocket of my jacket. My fingers fell immediately onto the small ring box contained within. I found myself fidgeting with it as I thought over what I wanted to say.

"So what's in the basket?" Asked Emily, snapping me out of my internal musings. She nodded towards a picnic basket that I had brought from the boot. I took my hand out of my pocket and dragged the basket towards us. It was quite a battered old thing of mums that I had dug out from the loft for the occasion. I flipped the lid open so that Emily could see what I had brought for our lunch. There was freshly baked bread - made by mum first thing this morning, cooked meats, and a selection of cheeses. Emily dived eagerly into it all. I know how much she loves this sort of thing. There was also a bottle of wine, and a couple of plastic wine glasses. I took them out, opened the wine and poured us both a glass.

* * *

"So, what was the occasion for this?" Asked Emily, stretching back across the rug. It was a sure sign that she had eaten her fill. I just shrugged and stared out across the lake. My fingers once more began playing with the trinket in my pocket. I had been planning this for a while, but somehow the words that I wanted to say just wouldn't form themselves into an intelligible sentence. I certainly wasn't having doubts, I just couldn't think of an adequate way to express myself.

The minutes of my silence must have dragged by, because the next thing I knew, Emily had sat up and was staring at me.

"Naoms, what's up?" I gazed back into those brown eyes, filled with concern, and decided that there was no time like the present. I smiled at her before pressing a chaste kiss against her lips.

"I've got something to ask you" I said as I withdrew the box from my pocket. I bit my lip as I opened the box, showing the delicate diamond ring that was enclosed inside it to Emily. I heard a sharp intake of breath from her.

"What's that?" She asked. It's my last fucking rolo! What the hell does it look like? I felt it was best to keep my sarcasm to myself, though.

"It's an engagement ring" I said instead. I took a deep breath. "Emily, I love you. You make me so happy. I love that you're the last person I see on a night, and the first person I see when I wake up, and I want it to always be like that, so..." My words faltered as I stared at Emily. She had the biggest smile on her face, that filled me with unspeakable joy. I took the ring from the box and pushed the box back in my pocket. "Will you be my wife?" I asked. Emily nodded and threw her arms around me. We both crashed backwards onto the rug as Emily rained sloppy kisses down onto every inch of my face. The relief from her answer suddenly hit me, and I found myself laughing with abandon. That is until Emily's lips found mine, and she kissed me with a passion that took my breath away.

After a few moments of some very steamy kissing, Emily sat up abruptly. I groaned at the loss of contact between us. As I sat up as well, Emily wiggled the fingers of her left hand at me. I chuckled, and carefully slid the ring onto her finger.

"It's beautiful" she told me, as she stared at it.

"_You're_ beautiful" I answered as I moved in to place gentle kisses along her jaw. I was so pleased that she liked it. I had spent ages picking what I hoped was the right ring. It was an elegant gold band, with a perfect solitaire diamond. I knew that Emily wouldn't want something flash or showy.

"I thought all that marriage stuff was a load of bollocks to you" said Emily suddenly. I pulled back to stare into her eyes and stroked my hand gently across her cheek.

"Actually, it was the whole 'love and commitment' thing that I thought was a load of bollocks, and I realised my mistake about _that_ ages ago." As I stared at my gorgeous girlfriend - no, check that - my gorgeous _fiancée, _I felt so happy that I had been wrong about so much. Emily is the most beautiful person, inside and out, that I have ever known, and _I'm_ the lucky git that she just agreed to spend the rest of her life with!

"I love you" said Emily suddenly, with the most amazing smile on her face. "And I can't wait to marry you."

"Well it's a civil partnership, actually…"

"I know that" she answered with a grin. "But it's what it means to _us _that matters."

I nodded. I had strong feelings about the politics of 'marriage' versus 'civil partnerships' when it came to civil rights, but this just wasn't the time for that. I wanted to make a commitment to Emily, and the fact that she felt the same way made me happy beyond my wildest expectations. Besides, she was right – to us, it would be a marriage in every sense of the word. Emily grabbed my hand and intertwined her fingers with mine.

"I used to imagine it, you know?" She said with a far off look in her eye. "When I was little. What my wedding might be like, what my husband would be like…"

I let out a little chuckle at that. Emily smiled and continued.

"Yeah, needless to say, you're not what I imagined! But that doesn't matter, because what I feel for you _is_ how I imagined it. I love you so much, Nai."

She closed the distance between us and kissed me. I parted my lips and Emily's tongue soon met mine. As we kissed in that perfect little glade amongst the trees, I thought about the life stretching out ahead of us. I knew that as long as Emily was with me, it was going to be incredible.

* * *

**So there we go. It would be fun to witness Jenna's reaction to their announcement, but this story ends here (although I may just come up with a little smutty one-shot, perhaps set at their engagement party). Some may feel that 22 is too young for them to get engaged, but these things aren't really about age. Besides, I was 21 when I got engaged, and that worked out just lovely for me. (Not telling you how long ago that was though...)**

**I've really enjoyed writing this story. I hope you've enjoyed reading it, and that maybe it made you chuckle once in a while. As I've mentioned to one or two people, I have plans for another fic. I would like to bring you all into my world, and write a Naomily story about magicians. I've made a tentative start, but I feel the need to take a break from writing for a bit. I have no idea how long that might be - for all I know, I could end up writing again before the end of next week. Anyway, it will probably keep it's working title of 'You Make Loving Fun', so watch out for that. And I'll still be loitering about in the meantime, so if anyone feels like sending me a PM, go right ahead.**

**I just want to say an absolute HUGE, massive thankyou to every single person who took the time to leave a review. Finishing this story is a big achievement for me, and I feel sure that it was only possible because of the feedback and encouragement that I have received. I'd like to give a BIG shout out to all of the annonymous reviewers: I really am so grateful. To all those who log in to review, I have tried to reply to most reviews, so you should already know how appreciative I am.**

**Finally, I just wanted to give a great big hug to ****girlno4282, for taking an interest both in me, and in my condition, and just for all round general loveliness :) It's nice to know that there is someone out there who took the time to listen (well, read - but you know what I mean!). It really has made a tough time a little bit easier.**

**Right, ramble over. Please let me know what you think!**

**Myrtle.**


	33. Get It While It's Hot

**No, not a new chapter. This is the one-shot 'Get It While It's Hot' that I posted separately some time ago. I decided that I didn't want to have a one-shot that was just smut posted on here, so I'm going to delete it in a few days. Then I decided that it was a shame to just delete it entirely, and since it fits nicely at the end of this story anyway, I thought I may as well add it here.**

* * *

Get It While It's Hot

Naomi

I pulled the car to a halt outside the Fitch household and killed the engine. We both glanced up at the window. There was a flash of movement from the curtains, followed by the sitting room being plunged into darkness.

"Real subtle" I said with a grin. Emily turned to face me.

"Show me your surprised face." I quirked an eyebrow at her.

"My what?"

"Show me your surprised face" she insisted. Fuck, she was serious. I did my best to feign astonishment at her. Apparently my effort was rather pathetic, because Emily just rolled her eyes at me.

"Well it'll be better with an audience" I argued. "I was planning on just winging it."

"You know how much effort Katie's put into this."

"Yeah, just a shame she made it so obvious" I answered with a chuckle. Emily and I were about to walk into our own surprise engagement party. The operative word of course being 'surprise'. We knew fine well what Katie had planned. She had been so insistent on us coming to Bristol on this particular evening. She had also been very particular about what time we were to arrive. Not a moment before eight had been her strict instruction. Add to that the little hints and snippets dropped to me in every phone conversation I had with either mum or Cook, and to Emily whenever she spoke to her family or Panda, and we had a pretty clear indication that something was going on.

But of course for Katie's sake, we had to pretend that we didn't have a clue. Not that I minded playing along. It was really nice of Katie to go to the trouble for us. I had been quite taken aback at first by her enthusiasm when we announced our engagement. She really has come around to the realisation that Emily and I are for keeps, and she couldn't have been more pleased for us. Of course she keeps on firing questions at us about venues, flowers, guest-lists and so on. All things that we haven't had a chance to even think about ourselves, yet. I feel like I'm just three conversations about table decorations away from just telling her once and for all to mind her own business. In reality though, I will try to keep my mouth shut. Her keenness makes Emily happy, and a happy Emily is a wonderful thing.

We both climbed out of the car and headed towards the darkened house. Almost unconsciously, I reached out for Emily's hand and interlinked our fingers as we walked up the driveway. The noise of the doorbell cut through the eerie silence. A moment later, a grinning Katie was stood in the doorway to greet us.

"Hey lezzers! Come on in." We stepped into the hallway, and took our coats off. Katie hung back, waiting for us go into the sitting room first. Emily and I exchanged a knowing smile, before pushing open the door.

"SURPRISE!"

The room was suddenly illuminated, revealing a crowd of people all grinning at us. I felt rather proud of my 'surprised face', even though I couldn't see it for myself. I even threw in a tiny stagger backwards, just to complete the effect.

"What's going on?" Asked Emily, as we were both enveloped in hugs from a dozen different people at once.

"We wanted to celebrate your engagement!" Said Katie, grinning from ear to ear. "You should _see_ the looks on your faces!" I winked at Emily, and she grinned back at me.

The next ten minutes were spent greeting all of our guests. All of our Bristol-based friends were there of course, along with various family members. Each had to be greeted like a long lost friend, regardless of how recently we had seen them. After that, I glanced around the room. It had been decorated with banners and balloons, and really did look lovely. I saw Katie's hand in all of it. The double doors through to the dinning room had been left open, and I could see that the table was laden down with an almighty buffet. From where I was standing, it all looked fantastic - not a word that was commonly used to describe food in the Fitch house.

"It should all be edible" Katie muttered in my ear, clearly guessing where my mind had headed. "I made mum get caterers in. I buttered her up - told her she should just relax and enjoy herself tonight, instead of being busy in the kitchen." I flashed Katie a grin, before scanning the room for Jenna. She was mingling across the room, and was actually making a good display of having fun. She seemed a little stiff perhaps, but then I've never seen her be anything else. I was hardly expecting her to get drunk and tell me that from the moment she met me, she knew I would be perfect for Emily. Still, we live in hope. In fairness to Jenna, she had borne the news of our engagement with aplomb. That is, after the initial shock had worn off. At first she just went deathly silent, an unreadable expression on her face. There were hugs all round from the rest of the Fitches, but Jenna remained rooted to the spot. When eventually prompted for a response, she drew her lips back over her teeth (I'm assuming it was a smile) and mumbled some stuff that contained the words 'congratulations' and 'happy'. We took that as a sign that she wasn't about to explode.

As I watched Jenna, I saw my mother walk towards her and engage her in conversation. This I had to hear. I edged closer, remaining within earshot, but out of sight just behind them. Gina was her warm, effusive self, gushing her thanks to Jenna for hosting the party. Jenna was polite, but looked slightly startled by my mother treating her like she was a friend of many years standing. Mum said something to Jenna about how the wedding would bring the two families together. I knew that she was on to a winner with Jenna there - she loved the idea of being connected to an accountant who ran his own firm. The conversation flowed easily on one side, and stiltedly on the other, until Jenna voiced:

"It's not a _proper_ marriage though, is it?" I bit my lip to stop myself from launching into an argument with my future mother in law.

"You're so right, Jenna dear!" Said mum firmly. "Gay couples should have an _equal _standing in marriage. We should get a protest going together, you and me..." I smiled to myself at mum's misinterpretation of Jenna's meaning. As mum prattled on about having a rainbow t-shirt somewhere in Jenna's size, she turned slightly and saw me standing nearby. She winked, before turning back to a now positively alarmed Jenna. I guess mum _didn't_ mistake her meaning after all. Trust her to have a bit of fun at Jenna's expense.

* * *

I felt a familiar pair of hands slide onto my hips. With a large smile on my lips, I turned to face Emily. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her in close to me, enjoying her touch. We had hardly spent any time together all evening. We had each found ourselves pulled in different directions by the demands of our guests.

"Having fun?" She asked with a grin. I nodded. I actually was enjoying myself. It was lovely to think that everyone was there to celebrate mine and Emily's engagement. My lips sought out hers for a tender kiss. At least I meant it to be tender, but Emily surprised me by brushing her tongue against my lips. I gasped, and her tongue took full advantage and slid to meet mine. Her hands dug insistently into my hips, pulling me into her. In another second, Emily broke the kiss.

"This music's shit" she told me. Okay, that was random. I stared at her, wondering why she would interrupt an increasingly steamy kiss, just to tell me that. "But I'm sure I've got some better CD's, in my old room" she added, while raising an eyebrow enticingly at me. I mumbled my agreement, trying to stop a huge 'we're off to have sex now' grin from spreading across my face. A quick glance around the room showed me that our presence wouldn't be missed. Everyone was either eating or talking. Emily took my hand, and led the way out of the room. We tried to keep our steps slow, so as not to proclaim our intentions to anyone watching. Once at the foot of the stairs, we dismissed such caution, and ran full-pelt up them. I headed towards Emily's bedroom, but a tug on my hand from her held me back. She led me instead towards the bathroom. We were just about to head in, when a sound reached our ears from one of the bedrooms.

"Grab my balls!"

Emily and I exchanged a grin, and I was curious to know if she was remembering the last time we overheard those words together, the first night we had sex.

"Slow _down_, will you?" Barked Katie's voice in answer to Cook. I wondered to myself if Cook liked Katie's domineering side, as Emily led me into the bathroom. But as the door closed behind me and Emily pressed me firmly up against it, all thoughts of anyone else relinquished my mind. I was alone with the most beautiful woman in the world, and nothing else mattered but us.

Emily reached down between my body and my arm, and slid the bolt across, locking us inside. That explains her decision to go to the bathroom instead of her bedroom then. She kissed me fervently, her tongue moving against mine. As she began firmly palming my tits through my top, she left my lips to press scorching kisses along my jaw and neck. I moaned as she sucked on my pulse point. One of her hands slid lower, finding the hem of my skirt, before raising it up. I gave out a silent prayer of thanks that I had followed Emily's suggestion to wear a skirt tonight. The sudden thought that she had planned this little 'escapade', sent a rush of heat between my legs. Well that and Emily's fingers, which were dancing lightly over my clit through my knickers. I let out a primitive hiss as Emily's teeth grazed across my neck. Then I groaned in frustration as suddenly all contact with her stopped. Emily took a step back from me, a teasing smile playing across her lips. I reached towards her, but she stepped back further from my grasp.

"Take them off" she said firmly. Her eyes flicked downwards for a second, making her meaning plain. Not wanting to disobey my sexy-as-fuck-when-she's-in-charge girlfriend, I slid my knickers to the floor before stepping out of them. I had no shoes on, having discarded them ages ago for reasons of comfort. "And your top" added Emily. She raised her hand and rested it deliberately on the highest fastened button of her blouse. As I watched her slowly tease it open, I remembered her being uncharacteristically coy when getting dressed earlier. She had vanished into the bathroom and not emerged until she was fully dressed. The recollection of that made me now desperate to see what she had on under her clothes. I loved the fact that she was constantly surprising me like that. I stripped off my top, throwing it carelessly on the floor behind me. My eyes darted over to the toilet seat, an image of me straddling Emily on it stormed into my mind's eye, but Emily had other ideas. "Sit down" she instructed me, motioning towards it. Again, I quickly complied. Emily stood in front of me, just out of arms reach. She unfastened another two of her buttons before smiling enticingly at me. The temperature in that small room seemed to be screaming higher and higher.

"Let me see" I pleaded, as Emily made no further moves. She chuckled at my impatience.

"Take your bra off" she said softly. It hit the floor the next second. Emily licked her lips as her eyes moved over my naked skin. I watched her transfixed, waiting for her to make a move. Finally her deft fingers slowly undid her remaining buttons. I've seen Emily naked a million times, but I was still so eager for those clothes to come off. She eased the shirt down over her shoulders, revealing a particularly alluring lacy bra. It was burgundy - a perfect match to her hair. The top now discarded, Emily reached behind her to unzip her pencil skirt. She dropped it to the floor to expose a matching pair of knickers, and stockings and suspenders. My mouth gaped open appreciatively. Emily stepped out of her skirt, then dropped her shoes to the floor one by one, an action that I found ridiculously sexy.

"You are _so_ beautiful" I murmured, as my eyes explored the vision in front of me. Emily finally stepped closer to me and placed her hands lightly on my shoulders. I took advantage of our proximity to slide my hands gently up the outside of her thighs and over her hips. I pressed hot kisses to her stomach while my fingers trailed over the top of her knickers. I was desperate to take them off and get started on making Emily soar, but she had something else in mind. I wasn't about to argue: like I said, Emily taking control is quite a turn on. Not to mention the thought of her fucking me while wearing that get-up had me so wet. She kneeled down in front of me and pulled my face to meet hers. As our kisses grew increasingly lustful, Emily's hands slid up the outside of my thighs, hitching my skirt up. Once at my hips, those hands pulled me closer towards her, effectively widening my legs. Emily left my lips to kiss her way softly down my throat. I tipped my head back and moaned as Emily's fingers began to tease their way across my inner thighs. Her lips moved lower, until she took one of my nipples into her mouth. My hands tangled in her hair as she gave attention to both of my breasts in turn, alternating between sucking firmly on each nipple, then licking them soothingly. All the while, her fingers were moving steadily higher up my thighs, tickling against the soft skin, purposely avoiding the heat between my legs.

Emily moved herself lower, and began to kiss and lick the area of my stomach that she knows is so sensitive to her touch. I arched my back into her, now desperate for more contact. Finally, she complied. Her thumb sought out my clit, rubbing against it with just the right pressure. As the throbbing between my legs intensified, I knew that it wouldn't take long for me to reach that blissful release. A strangled whimper left my throat as Emily removed her thumb. She stared up at me, a seductive smile playing across her lips. With her hands on my inner thighs, she pushed my legs just a little wider. Then her eyes flicked down to my pussy. She licked her lips again, and I gasped at the sight of that.

"What do you want me to do?" She asked softly, her eyes darting back up to meet mine.

"Fuck me" was my immediate reply, but I could see that she was waiting for more. "Emily, I want you to fuck me. I want to feel your tongue on me..." the rest of my sentence dissolved into a strangled cry, as Emily swiftly moved closer and I felt her smouldering tongue just where I wanted it. The sudden relief of the contact made my hips buck upwards. Emily licked and sucked at my clit, knowing just what to do to drive me higher. I clung desperately to her shoulders as my whole body began to shudder. My release came quick and hard. Emily held me firmly as the waves of ecstasy ripped through me, and I cried out her name.

A few minutes later, my breathing began to return to normal. Emily got to her feet, allowing me another proper look at her in lacy underwear. The sight alone nearly took my breath away again. The need to make her see stars as well rose within me once more. I reached out for her, placing my hands on her hips, and steered her until she was on my lap straddling my legs. As much as I _love_ a naked Emily, it seemed a shame to disturb such beautiful lingerie.

"Now it's your turn" I told her with a seductive grin. Her hands found my shoulders, and she leaned in to kiss me. I kissed back with all the passion I could muster. My hands teased across the exposed skin at the tops of her stockings, before sliding up her torso. I took a last lingering look, before quickly discarding her bra - the rest could stay, but that _had_ to go. I stared at her perfect tits, my fingers tugging playfully at her nipples. Unable to resist them, I moved in to take one of her nipples between my lips. I rolled my tongue around it, enjoying the sensation of Emily's fingernails clawing into my shoulders.

With one hand at the small of her back, I moved the other hand down between her legs. I stroked softly against the crotch of her knickers, feeling just how turned on she was. Then I let one of my fingers stray teasingly inside the fabric, caressing her pussy lips. I heard a moan from Emily at the skin to skin contact. I left off from her tits to meet her mouth again with mine. As my tongue slid it's way towards hers, I pushed the crotch of her knickers to one side and thrust two fingers deep inside of her. A louder moan and the increased grip on my shoulders told me how much Emily wanted it. I held her hips steadily against me, and moved my fingers in and out of her with firm, deliberate strokes.

"Faster" she breathed, when she realised that my slow movements weren't changing pace. I complied straight away. I drove my fingers into her, revelling at the noises she was making, each one spurring me on further. As Emily tipped her head back - a sure sign that she was close to the edge - I increased my pace once more. I pressed open mouthed kisses to the base of her throat and curled my fingers inside of her. "Oh, Naoms fuck!" With her usual string of expletives, Emily announced the arrival of her orgasm. I kept pushing into her, trying to wring every last drop of pleasure out of it for her. She rode those waves of bliss, before collapsing back into my arms, panting. I held her tightly, slowing my movements to bring her gently back down to earth.

"Fuck, that was... wow!" She said at last.

"Yeah" I agreed, grinning at her. I kept my arms around her, just wanting to feel her close to me. She gave me her trademark beautiful smile, that is always so full of warmth. I smiled back, marvelling to myself that I get to spend the rest of my life with this amazing woman. I adore her passion, and it always inflames the same feelings in me for her.

Eventually, we got dressed and did our best to freshen ourselves up, before leaving the bathroom hand in hand. We didn't bother checking first to see if anyone was around - the immovable grins on our faces would have given the game away anyway. Just before we re-joined the party, Emily pulled me closer to her.

"I love you" she said simply. I gazed back at the gorgeous, passionate, wonderful woman that was going to become my wife. I gave her the same answer that I always gave to that statement. It was the only answer that I had, because it was the only answer that held all of the truth that I needed her to know.

"I love you too" I said.


End file.
